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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29855916">Roses</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/xnemones_graveyard/pseuds/xnemones_graveyard'>xnemones_graveyard</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Voltron: Legendary Defender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, Aliens, Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, High School, Music, Undertagged</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-16 00:08:10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>21,587</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29855916</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/xnemones_graveyard/pseuds/xnemones_graveyard</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Keith is a foster child working in Mrs. Zhao's flower shop and living with her in the apartments above. He got kicked out of school for a year due to a fight, and remained out it for the next year. He returns to reincite an ol musical rivalry with Lance Sanchez, a saxophone player. Keith plays guitar and trumpet. As a result of the rivalry, Keith becomes close friends with Lance's group and even closer with Lance himself. Until the day that Keith's father returns to Earth to recruit him for the Galra army.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Keith/Lance (Voltron)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Roses</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Inspiration comes from a variety of AUs and headcanons. I have taken creative liberty in the character's personalities and traits, though I tried to keep them pretty close to the original.</p><p>Originally written in 2017. I forgot this existed and hope I will again as soon as I upload it. Archive is meant to be a place to archive old works so this is where it goes so I can finally clear out my Google Drive. I am not separating it by chapters. I can't even stand reading the first page. Sorry, enjoy.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>~Chapter One~<br/>The bell above the door to the shop chimes, so I look up to greet the customer with a smile. One look at his face almost makes me forget my line.</p><p>"Hello. If there's anything you need, just let me know," I tell him, my eyes following his jawline and then the slope of his nose.</p><p>"Thanks. Will do," the guy says grumpily.</p><p>"I'm sorry, do we know each other? You seem familiar," I tell him, my smile fading.</p><p>"Yeah, of course we do!" he replies, voice breaking a little.</p><p>I stifle a giggle.</p><p>"What's so funny?!"</p><p>"Nothing, sorry. I don't really remember," I reply.</p><p>"Aw, come on. The name's Lance! Ring a bell? We were Keith and Lance, neck and neck, until you quit," he tells me.</p><p>"Hm? Oh, yeah, I think I remember now. You were a tuba player," I respond.</p><p>"Yes! But I'm saxophone now," Lance tells me.</p><p>I'm still distracted by his messy brown hair and tan skin. His eyes are rich and chocolatey. He's a little lanky and slightly taller than me, but it's cute.</p><p>"Oh really?" I reply.</p><p>"Yes!"</p><p>"Well, what are you in her looking for?" I question.</p><p>"Are you serious? It's mother's day tomorrow!" Lance retorts.</p><p>I startle.</p><p>"Oh. So that's why the shop's been busier the last couple of days," I muse.</p><p>"Wait, aren't you doing something for your mom?" Lance asks me.</p><p>"I don't really know what Id do," I respond.</p><p>"What? Why not?" Lance questions.</p><p>"It's complicated," I admit sheepishly.</p><p>You don't really tell someone that you're a foster kid the first day you meet them. Or that you've lived practically on your own since elementary school with the old lady next door taking care of you and letting you work in her flower shop.</p><p>"Alright. Well, I need a boquet," Lance tells me, looking around.</p><p>"Okay. We've got pre-made ones or I could assemble one for you. Either way, it's the same price," I answer.</p><p>"Okay. Do you think you could put one together for me then?" Lance inquires.</p><p>"Sure," I say with a smile. "Do you know what kind of flowers your mom likes?"</p><p>"Uh… She likes those big poofy ones with the little leaves," Lance says.</p><p>"Chrysanthemum? Dahlia?" I question, pointing to each.</p><p>"Yeah, the second one," Lance tells me.</p><p>"Dahlia. Okay. We can work with that," I reply, picking out a couple of our best ones.</p><p>I go around the shop, picking out flowers to go along with and complement the dahlia. As I do so, Lance watches me.</p><p>"What color are her eyes?" I ask.</p><p>"What? Why do you need to know that?"</p><p>I roll my eyes.</p><p>"Just answer my damn question. What color are her eyes?"</p><p>"Uh, blue," he replies.</p><p>I grab some small blue berries and a few white flowers and add them in. I wrap the boquet nicely and set it on the counter carefully.</p><p>"That's $10," I say.</p><p>He hands me a bill. I take it and as I'm putting it into the cash register, he picks up the boquet.</p><p>"You're holding it wrong," I tell him.</p><p>"What?" Lance asks.</p><p>"The flowers. Hold them more like - this," I tell him, leaning across the counter to shift his hands.</p><p>I look up into his eyes, still touching his hands, smiling lightly. When I realize what I'm doing, I blush and pull away quickly. I scratch the back of my neck and clear my throat.</p><p>"Uh, I'll see you around," I tell him, looking down.</p><p>My face still feels like it's on fire and I can't look him in the eye. He's staring at me with his mouth slightly open. After he doesn't move for a while, I finally look up and notice that he's blushing too. Thankfully, my manager saves me from further embarassment.</p><p>"Keith! Get over here and help me carry these bags of fertilizer!" she yells from the back of the shop.</p><p>"Coming, Mrs. Zhao!" I shout back. I start to take off in her direction, but stop and turn to Lance for a moment.</p><p>"Thanks for stopping by," I tell him, waving. "Come by whenever."</p><p>I leave before I can hear his whispered response.</p><p>==========</p><p>"You should go back to real school."</p><p>"What?" I ask.</p><p>"You should stop taking online classes and go back to school," my manager repeats as I help her move some fertilizer bags.</p><p>"Why?"</p><p>"So that you can make friends! That Lance boy goes to school, doesn't he? When was the last time you were in real classes?" Mrs. Zhao questions.</p><p>"Two years ago; ninth grade," I respond. "He and his friend group were part of the reason I left, remember? They wouldn't let me be a part of their group."</p><p>"So go back. After this year is over, go back to school. I'll help you enroll," she tells me.</p><p>"Thanks," I reply.</p><p>She says something in Chinese, which means, 'You're welcome'.</p><p>I smile.</p><p> </p><p>~Chapter Two~<br/>After work, I practice my trumpet for a half an hour, and then eat dinner with Mrs. Zhao in her apartment across the hall. I don't see Lance in the shop again.</p><p>My manager enrolls me in school, and takes me to orientation. I get my schedule and figure out where my classes are. I only catch a glimpse of Lance, but he's surrounded by kids, so I don't go over to him. I guess he's kind of popular now. One of his friends looks like a Senior, too. He's tall, and muscular, with white bangs and a black undercut. His right arm is prosthetic, but it looks super cool. He's even more attractive than Lance, and I find myself staring.</p><p>Mrs. Zhao, my manager, hits me over the back of the head. I turn to look at her, rubbing the spot she hit.</p><p>"Ouch! What was that for?" I ask indignantly.</p><p>"Don't stare. Even at particularly attractive young men. Save the staring for class, when your teacher's being boring," Mrs. Zhao instructs.</p><p>I smile at her but don't reply.</p><p>"Hey! Keith," Lance's voice calls.</p><p>I startle and slowly turn towards him, feighning nonchalance.</p><p>"Uh, hey," I say.</p><p>"Who's this guy?" a girl next to Lance asks.</p><p>She has thick, round, wire-rimmed glasses and is wearing a green and white baseball tee. Her hair is cut short and is light brown.</p><p>"This is Keith," Lance tells her, squinting at me again.</p><p>"Are you his grandma?" Hunk asks Mrs. Zhao.</p><p>"In a way," she replies.</p><p>"So you're coming back to school, huh?" Lance asks me suspiciously.</p><p>"Yeah," I say. "I figured that was fairly obvious, given that I'm here."</p><p>"Very funny. You'd better not try to upstage me in band," Lance tells me.</p><p>"Believe me, I won't have to try," I tell him, smirking.</p><p>Lance leans forward, glaring at me. I lean back a little.</p><p>"Lance, just leave him alone. You're scaring him," the hot senior says.</p><p>I stare at him again, my face burning. As cute as Lance is, this new guy's definitely hot.</p><p>"Oh, shut up, Shiro," Lance retorts, but he stops inspecting me.</p><p>So his name's Shiro… nice. It's cool. I wonder if it's a nickname, or if that's his real first name.</p><p>"Can we go now? I think there's supposed to be snacks somewhere," the big polynesian guy also next to Lance says.</p><p>"Yeah, sure, Hunk. See you around, Keith," Lance tells me, turning and waving.</p><p>"Yeah, you too," I reply.</p><p> </p><p>~Chapter Three~<br/>On the first day of school, I get on the bus early in the morning. I'm wearing my favorite cropped red jacket, a dark t-shirt, black fitted jeans, and boots. I have a brown belt, and a brown, soft leather backpack. My hair is down. When I'm at the shop, I pull it up into a messy ponytail. The bus driver and I exchange brief greetings before I find an empty seat at the back. A few curious gazes glance towards me, but not for more than a second each.</p><p>When the bus finally pulls up in front of the high school, I file off with the rest of the students. I check my schedule one more time and head to first period. AP Biology. I say hello to my teacher and drop my bag next to the seat I collapse in, near the back again. In a few minutes, the girl who was beside Lance at orientation comes in. She drops her large grey backpack, and leaves without looking at me. I notice that she's wearing huge headphones around her neck today, and a green shirt.</p><p>I lean back in my chair and wait for class to start.</p><p>==========</p><p>Throughout the first half of the day, nothing much happens. I don't know anyone else in any of my other classes up until lunch. After fourth period, I head to the cafeteria, and get my food. I recieve free lunch, because of Ms. Zhao's income. I look around for a place to sit, and decide to sit at an empty table. As more people file in, the cafeteria fills and grows louder. A small group start setting their trays on the table I'm at and I only look up when one slams his directly beside me. I relax slightly when I notice that it's just Lance.</p><p>"Hey Keith," Lance exclaims.</p><p>"Hi," I respond softly looking back at my tray and taking another bite of my sandwich.</p><p>"Dude, you look kind of glum," the big guy from yesterday notices.</p><p>"You're right, Hunk," the girl replies.</p><p>They all turn to stare at me. I notice the Shiro has two other seniors with him. An attractive, dark-skinned girl with purpleish-white hair, and a tall guy with a carrot-orange mullet. His hair is slicked back and is a little short though.</p><p>"Are you nervous?" the orange-haired senior asks me. "I'm Coran by the way."</p><p>I nod twice and then introduce myself.</p><p>"Don't be," Shiro tells me. He puts his bionic arm around the girl's shoulders.</p><p>"If anyone messes with you, just let one of us know. Or better yet, just tell Allura here. She'll take care of it, and I guarantee they won't bother you again," Shiro states.</p><p>Everyone laughs. Even I give a soft chuckle. Allura doesn't look that strong. She's tall, but not overly muscular. Shiro, on the other hand…</p><p>"Hey, did you save any lives over the summer, by the way?" the girl asks Allura.</p><p>"Pidge, come on," Allura tells her. "Of course I did. That's my job."</p><p>"Did you even leave your house, Pidge?" Hunk questions.</p><p>"Yes!" Pidge answers indignantly. "I got the mail twice!"</p><p>The others all laugh.</p><p>"Hey, um, Allura," I cut in.</p><p>She look at me.</p><p>"What do you do? That is, what's your job?"</p><p>"Oh. I'm a lifeguard. Lance said you work at a flower shop downtown," she responds.</p><p>"Yeah," I answer, shooting a glance at Lance.</p><p>"What? That's where I met you, why wouldn't I tell my friends?" Lance retorts. "That's not to say you're not my friend too, of course."</p><p>"Yeah, since you know Lance, you might as well become a part of our group," Coran exclaims.</p><p>"Welcome to the family, flower boy," Pidge calls.</p><p>"Hey, Keith, are you going to finish that?" Hunk asks, pointing to the half slice of pizza left on my plate.</p><p>I chuckle and slide it over. He practically inhales it.</p><p>"Hunk, buddy, you're going to choke," Pidge says.</p><p>"Hm. Worth it," Hunk tells her, his mouth full.</p><p>We all laugh. It seems like the first time I've felt fairly at home in a group of people.</p><p>"Hey Keith!" Lance calls over.</p><p>I look up.</p><p>"What electives are you taking?"</p><p>"Band and I have a study period," I reply.</p><p>Lance curses.</p><p>"Alright, but don't expect me to help you out when you get lost or something just because we're friends, alright?!" Lance exclaims.</p><p>"Don't expect me to help you out either then," I state.</p><p>Lance scowls.</p><p>"Come on, guys. You two might not even be able to see each other," Shiro points out.</p><p>"I guess," Lance reluctantly agrees.</p><p>"Are any of the rest of you in band?" I ask.</p><p>"I'm one of the drum majors," Shiro says.</p><p>"And I play trombone," Hunk adds.</p><p>I nod and say, "That's cool."</p><p> </p><p>~Chapter 3~<br/>Lunch ends soon after we all finish eating. We make our way over to the band room. Our teacher is a man in his late thirties with white hair. He looks a little bit like Allura. When Coran and Allura wave at him and he smiles back kindly, I ask who he is.</p><p>"Oh, he's my father," she explains.</p><p>"And my uncle," Coran adds.</p><p>"Oh. Cool," I reply. "So you two are cousins."</p><p>"Yes," Allura says.</p><p>I nod. They smile at me and guesture to the trumpet section. I walk over and sit down next to a young woman I vaguely recognize and next to Lance. She looks at me suspiciously and suddenly I remember where we met. I smirk at her with the recollection.</p><p>She has dark skin, and thick dreadlocks. None of us have our instruments with us today.</p><p>Lance looks over at her and then at me. He looks back at Hunk, Allura, Coran, and Shiro, as if questioningly, and shrugs. They all shrug back. </p><p>Class goes smoothly. We all get to know our director a little. His name is Mr. Alfor.</p><p>========</p><p>After school, we all head home. I stay latest, then leave on my red motorcycle. I don't go straight home. I rarely do. Today, I'm going to the club.</p><p>I show up in front of an old bar, parkin my bike out back and storing my helmet and backpack in the compartment under the seat. I head in and nod to the bartender. One of the bar's regulars hollers at me that I look a little young to be drinking. I glare at him and then walk to the counter.</p><p>"Two rounds," I murmur.</p><p>The bartender nods and motions me to the back. He leads me to a basement stairwell and steps aside to let me pass. I nod in thanks and head down.</p><p>A few regulars holler when they see me. I smirk and hang my cropped jacket on a hook along with a lot of others. I make my way through the crowd to get a look at today's fighters. There's a few guys in my weight class I could fight, along with two women. The fight in the ring right now is coming to an end. Seconds after the taller of the two wins by a knockout, the announcer steps up and shouts over the comotion of the crowd.</p><p>"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome back to fight club!"</p><p>Everyone cheers.</p><p>"One of our champions just showed up--you know him as THE RED LION!!!"</p><p>I smirk again as a few people clap me hard on the back.</p><p>"So, Lion, will you be fighting today?" the announcer asks me.</p><p>"Hell yeah!" I shout.</p><p>"Woo! Let's get you up here then!"</p><p>I climb into the ring.</p><p>"Alright. Who dares to challenge the Red Lion?"</p><p>A newbie raises his hand--one of the guys I noticed earlier. I nod and he joins me in the ring. I put up my hands and settle into a fighting stance. He does the same, opposite me. I sort of recognize him, but I can't remember from where.</p><p>"Alright. This is your first fight," the announcer asks the guy.</p><p>He nods.</p><p>Some people laugh, others shout taunts.</p><p>"Alright. I'll say the rules then. No crotch shots, no weapons, and no mentioning this place anywhere outside of this basement, alright?!"</p><p>We both nod.</p><p>I grin when the announcer tells us to fight, and step forward slowly, waiting for my opponent to make the first move. He throws a clumsy punch which I dodge easily and return with three quick jabs. He stumbles backwards and I start hitting. All the padding on my hands are my gloves, but my knuckles are pretty tough. I hit and hit until he falls down, at which point I step back.</p><p>"Wow, no mercy!" the announcer comments.</p><p>The crowd chants a countdown from five. The guy tries and fails to stand up. As the last number passes and the crowd cheers, I raise my hands and parade around the ring.</p><p>The guy limps off eventually and the girl from band takes his place. My eyes widen and she growls at me.</p><p>"Ooh, do you two know each other?" the announcer questions after starting the fight and getting out of the way. "Exes, perhaps?"</p><p>"Sorry, but she's not really my type," I snarl.</p><p>"Yeah? Well you're not mine either--even though you don't have balls, you're a bit too masculine," she retorts.</p><p>The crowd "oohs".</p><p>"That's not very lady-like," I tell her with a laugh.</p><p>"You'll soon find out how very un-lady-like I am," she tells me before lunging at me.</p><p>I dodge her first few punches, but one finally hits my face.</p><p>"Sorry to hurt that pretty face of yours--I hope that doesn't hurt your business," she taunts.</p><p>Out of breath, I don't try to come up with a response. Instead, I hit her jaw and stomach, but she sweeps my feet out from under me and I hit the ground hard. I roll away and stand back up, shaking my head.</p><p>"Is our Lion falling?!" the announcer cries.</p><p>I grit my teeth and yell as I fly at her. She flinches slightly, but that's all I needed. I attack and she falls. She's unconscious before she even hits the ground.</p><p>Everyone reacts, going wild. I raise one fist in the air and then climb down from the ring to collect my meager winnings--underground fighting isn't well-funded. Nonetheless, it's more than I get paid in a week at the shop and I get a $35 bonus for the cut and a $10 bonus for the knockout. I leave the basement with $245, grabbing my jacket on my way. I head across the hall to the bathroom and take a look at my cut. It's nasty and already starting to bruise around it--probably going to get infected if I don't clean it up. I'll have to take care of it at home. For now, I wipe the extra blood off with a wet paper towel and wash my face with a splash of water. I dry off, put my jacket back on, and leave out the back entrace of the club. I return to my motorcycle and fish my helmet out and put it on. I drive home in the dark. I guess those rounds were longer than I thought, since it's already 6:30 and I got here at 5:45 or so.</p><p>I park in the alley behind the shop and grab my backpack. I head inside, locking the door after I come through it, and head upstairs to my apartment. Mrs. Zhao is watching TV. I enter my apartment and head to the bathroom. I clean up the cut with rubbing alchohol and bandage it up. It should close enough by tomorrow morning for me to cover it up with makeup.</p><p>I've always had an odd healing speed.</p><p> </p><p>~Chapter 4~<br/>At school tomorrow, I meet everyone in the cafeteria. I show up as Pidge is trying to flip a water bottle. I grab it and land it in one shot. After everyone gets over that, they look at me and their grins fade.</p><p>"Woah, Keith, buddy, what happened to your face?!" Hunk asks.</p><p>I touch the cut and scowl. It didn't heal as much as I thought it was going to, and what's more is I forgot to cover it up. I was just too tired. I'm not even sure if I fell asleep last night.</p><p>"It's nothing," I tell them.</p><p>Lance reaches out to touch it and I jerk away.</p><p>"I said it's nothing!" I shout.</p><p>The girl looks at me from across the room and I squint at her. My friends look over at her and Shiro softly asks me who she is.</p><p>"I don't know her," I lie.</p><p>"Bull," Pidge calls.</p><p>"Listen, it's nothing you guys need to worry about, okay? Sometimes, I'll come to school with weird cuts or bruises. Just ignore it. I don't need to get kicked out of this place again," I hiss.</p><p>"I thought you got suspended for drugs or something," Lance states.</p><p>"No. Who said that?" I ask.</p><p>He shrugs.</p><p>"We heard that you 'Had a discipline issue and flunked out',"  Pidge recalls.</p><p>"Yeah, I guess I did," I reply in a flat tone.</p><p>The specific truth is that I got into a fight with someone from the club, here at school.</p><p>"Alright, we'll leave you alone about it this time, but if it happens again you have to tell us who's hurting you," Allura says.</p><p>I snort.</p><p>"No one's done anything to me that I didn't sign up for," I tell her.</p><p>Everyone looks at me curiously. I look around at each of them in turn.</p><p>"Look," I say. "Don't worry about me. It's sweet, but I've been pretty much on my own my whole life. I can handle myself."</p><p>Lance looks startled.</p><p>"Wha-? Don't you have parents?" he asks me.</p><p>"Probably."</p><p>"What do you mean, 'probably'?"</p><p>"I've never met them," I admit with a shrug.</p><p>"Lance, leave him alone," Shiro tells him softly, putting a hand on his shoulder.</p><p>I give Shiro a grateful look, and Lance backs off.</p><p>==========</p><p>Today's classes go well too. We actually start to learn stuff. In gym, we set up our lockers and locks. In band, we get sorted into our sections. For now, those of us who have played the longest sit closest the front. That means that I am in the position of section leader. Lance is one spot away from section leader. The girl and I ignore each other the whole class period.</p><p>Eventually, school lets out again. I let the group come over and take a look at my motorcycle. Lance tells us all that he's having a party at his place tomorrow night. I tell him I'll come, as long as he gives me his address.</p><p>"Or," I add, "I could drive you home on this and you could just give me directions on the way?"</p><p>Lance is blushing. I don't know why. It's not like he's gay; he only ever flirts with girls as far as I've seen. Besides, I'm serious in my suggestion. It'd be easier than me having to memorize directions from online.</p><p>"Y-yeah, sounds great," Lance tells me.</p><p>"Cool," I reply, mounting my bike and snapping my helmet on. "See you guys tomorrow."</p><p>They wave as I start the engine and it roars to life. It purs as I drive off, leaning forward with the structure of the bike. I can't hear the low, impressed sounds my friends make as I leave.</p><p>==========</p><p>"Did you see his ass, Hunk?!" Lance whispers after I'm gone.</p><p>"Lance, you've asked me to tell you when you're being really gay? You're being really gay," Hunk replies.</p><p>"Sh! I know. Seriously though, that boy's got a bubblebutt," Lance states.</p><p>"Yeah, he does," Pidge says.</p><p>"Man, he's dreamy," Lance sighs.</p><p>"Why don't you flirt with him?" Hunk questions.</p><p>"What?! Well, because he's obviously not gay or bi. I mean, none of the hot bad boys ever are," Lance responds. "Besides, in ninth grade, he had a girlfriend."</p><p>"So? You did too," Hunk points out.</p><p>"I guess, but I'm bi and I dated a guy later that year," Lance says. "He had girls following him all of the time."</p><p>"Lance, just talk to him," Shiro suggests.</p><p>"No way! Besides, even if he is bi, or even gay, he'll be into you. I'm just a huge meme," Lance says glumly.</p><p>"Well, I have a girlfriend, and I'm a year older," Shiro says. "And Pidge is a meme too, but she has guys and girls asking her out all the time."</p><p>"Yeah, I guess," Lance replies. "But Pidge is cute."</p><p>She scowls up at him from her phone for a moment.</p><p>"Just try to flirt with him," Allura says. "It's worth a shot, isn't it?"</p><p>Lance looks down and shrugs.</p><p>"Okay. I'll try tomorrow," he states.</p><p> </p><p>~Chapter 5~<br/>I get back to the shop and help out Mrs. Zhao until we close up. Then I head upstairs, practice, and do my homework. Our math teacher gave us some on the first day. When I finish that, I get ready for bed and check the cut in the mirror. It isn't bruised any more, but the cut is still barely visible. It'll be gone by tomorrow, for sure.</p><p>I sleep well, tonight.</p><p>=========</p><p>I wake up in a wet spot with a painful boner. I groan and drag myself out of bed. I take a quick, cold shower, and then get dressed. I take the sheets off the bed and set them on the floor to wash when I get home. I grab my backpack and walk across the hall to Mrs. Zhao's apartment. She sets out breakfast for me, which I eat gratefully.</p><p>I remember bits and pieces of my dream. It was about Lance, and we were at my place. God, in my dream, he was really good. I've only slept with one guy before, one I met at the library. We went on dates to the beach, to a coffee shop, and to the zoo, as well as one to the arcade for my birthday, after which we went to his house. We were awkward and clumsy, and I regret it. At the very least, we used condoms, but it was our first time for both of us, and neither of us knew what to do.</p><p>In my dream, Lance was nothing like Lucas had been.</p><p>Which is why my boner is returning. I grit my teeth and force myself to focus on my eggs and toast. After I finish it, I grab my bag, thank Mrs. Zhao, and head out. I again meet up with my new group, who seem to start bickering with Lance about something as I approach. Seeing him makes me remember my dream and I scowl again for a moment and force my mind to think of something else.</p><p>Anything but the fact that his perfect body is approaching me and his cheeks are dusted pink, just like they were in the dream--wait, why is he blushing?</p><p>"Hey, I, uh, lost my number. Can I have yours?" Lance tries.</p><p>I look at him, confused.</p><p>"I don't know how you lose your own phone number, but yeah, you can have mine," I reply, taking out a piece of paper to write it on.</p><p>Pidge facepalms and Allura laughs, but I hand my phone number over to a blushing Lance with a small smile. He's pretty cute when he's flustered.</p><p>==========</p><p>The day goes smoothly and quickly. After school, I lead Lance back over to my bike and help him on. I give him my helmet and I tell him to wrap his arms around my waist, my face warm. Luckily, he can't see that. I start the motorcycle and we start driving. I shout at him to point when we turn. He does, and we get to his house after only missing four turns. Pidge and Hunk beat us there. Pidge is the only Sophomore in our group. Hunk drove them both in his Mom's minivan. Shiro, Allura, and Coran pull up a few minutes later in Allura's grey Jeep.</p><p>We head inside and are greeted by Lance's huge family. Apparently, his grandparents and his parents are on vacation, leaving him and his siblings under the guidance of the eldest sibling and her husband. And she took most of the youngest kids to the mall and the movies for a few hours. The husband is cool; he's a pretty calm guy. I remember seeing him fight once--he's in the weight class above me. He was good. He nods at me in recongition, smiling lightly when I shake his hand while wearing my regular gloves.</p><p>"Red Lion, it's a pleasure," he tells me quietly when the others can't overhear.</p><p>I nod back at him.</p><p>"Keith, how do you know so many people? First that girl in band, now my bro-in-law," Lance calls.</p><p>"I'm not going to tell you," I shout back.</p><p>"Whatever, just get in here, we're going to play Clue!" Pidge replies from the living room.</p><p>I laugh and head in there. Lance's house is big. It's an old Victorian with two floors, a basement, and an attic that's more like a third floor. I sit on the carpet with the others, around a low coffee table with the game on it. Lance informs us what the replacements represent, and then we start the game.</p><p>It's fun, and I almost win. Pidge beats me. We celebrate with pizza and soda, courtesy of "bro-in-law" which is, as far as I can tell, his name.</p><p>We turn on an old horror film that no one actually wants to pay attention to, because we've elected to play truth or dare.</p><p>"I'll go first," Lance says. "Keith, truth or dare?"</p><p>"Truth," I reply.</p><p>"Okay. Are you straight?"</p><p>I almost laugh.</p><p>"No, not at all. Pidge, truth or dare," I say.</p><p>I don't miss the shocked and hopeful look Lance has on his face.</p><p>"Dare," Pidge responds in a bored tone.</p><p>"Lance, do you have a pool?" I question.</p><p>"Oh no, I will not go swimming in Lance's pool," Pidge objects.</p><p>"That's not my dare. So you do have one?"</p><p>"Yeah, what are you-"</p><p>"Pidge, I dare you to drink half a cup of water from Lance's pool," I tell her.</p><p>She stares at me.</p><p>"You are satan, do you know that?" she claims.</p><p>I smirk.</p><p>She stands up and heads towards the kitchen. She grabs a glass and we follow her out into Lance's backyard. The pool is murky and gross. I immediately feel kinda bad for making her do this.</p><p>"Nevermind, I can give you some other dare if you-"</p><p>"Nope. I'm doing it," she says, scooping some water into the cup.</p><p>She raises it to her mouth and exclaims, "YOLO!" before downing the contents of the glass. She makes a face, but drinks it all.</p><p>"Lance, you really need to clean up your pool," Pidge tells him, her voice laced with disgust.</p><p>"Sorry," he replies.</p><p> </p><p>~Chapter 6~<br/>The game is great until Lance is dared to kiss me. I suppose at that point, you could say it got even better--if it weren't for how awkward it started out and how heated it got. When we finally break apart, we sit staring at each other for a moment, a bridge of saliva between us. I'm first to break eye contact and start blusing into my hands.</p><p>"Ohmygod ohmygod ohmygod," I repeat.</p><p>"What? Is something wrong?" Lance asks worriedly and a bit breathlessly.</p><p>I look up.</p><p>"I haven't kissed anyone like that in a while--and I haven't even met half your family," I admit.</p><p>"Well neither have I," Lance says. "And I've only met your grandma!"</p><p>"Actually, yeah, you've met my whole family if you've met her," I retort.</p><p>"Wait, what? But I thought you weren't actually related to her," Pidge says.</p><p>"I'm not; she's my current foster mom," I explain.</p><p>"Oh shit bro," Lance whispers. "I'm sorry."</p><p>"Don't be. It's not like I remember my parents. Well, I kind of remember my dad. He was a big guy, big ears. And for some reason, I thought his skin was purple," I say. I laugh. "Crazy, right?"</p><p>My hand hovers down towards my boot. I touch the knife I keep attatched there.</p><p>"What's that?" Hunk asks softly, pointing to the top of the handle.</p><p>I withdraw the knife and hold it up.</p><p>"It's the last thing I have from my Dad."</p><p>"Why is the handle wrapped, and what do those characters mean?" Allura questions.</p><p>"I don't know. The characters are Korean. I've never unwapped the handle," I say.</p><p>"Oh."</p><p>"Man, your childhood sounds rough. No wonder you had a discipline issue," Lance tells me.</p><p>I shrug.</p><p>"It wasn't that hard. I learned how to fight while I lived in Detroit, when I was seven. I earned a respectable reputation back there," I state.</p><p>"Woah, so do you--still fight, and stuff?" Hunk asks.</p><p>I don't answer for a minute.</p><p>"Sometimes," I say.</p><p>They look impressed.</p><p>"Are you any good?" Lance asks.</p><p>His brother in law walks in. We share a glance and he nods. I nod back.</p><p>"He is," the brother vouches. "I've seen him fight a few times. He's kept that reputation, let me tell you."</p><p>I smile at him and thank him.</p><p>"You're a good fighter too--that guy was a lot bigger than you," I respond.</p><p>He thanks me back.</p><p>"Where do you guys fight?" Shiro asks.</p><p>We look at each other before I give an answer.</p><p>"We can't tell you. You'll have to find it on your own, Shiro. Sorry."</p><p>"It's the biggest rule," Lance's brother in law adds.</p><p>"Awesome, so you two are in some sort of fight club?" Pidge asks.</p><p>I hesitantly nod.</p><p>"Do you guys fight and get paid for it, like pros?" Hunk asks.</p><p>Again, I nod.</p><p>"If you win," I say. "Or get bloody."</p><p>Lance's brother in law leaves.</p><p>"Is that where that cut was from?" Lance asks me, tracing along my cheek where it was. "Wow, it's completely gone now."</p><p>"Yeah," I reply, to both questions.</p><p>Lance nods understandingly.</p><p>"I think we'd all like to see you fight sometime," Shiro says.</p><p>"Alright. Well, I can't tell you exactly where it is, but there's this bar downtown that if you ask the bartender for two rounds, he'll show you the back," I tell them. "Don't tell anyone, alright? This kind of stuff is pretty illegal, and the cops are looking for us."</p><p>"Oh. Okay," Lance responds.</p><p>I smile.</p><p>"You won't be disappointed though," I tell them.</p><p>"We'd better not be," Pidge pipes up.</p><p>"Alright, Shiro, truth or dare?" Lance says.</p><p>"Dare," he replies.</p><p>The game continues for a little while. When the movie none of us were actually watching ends, we put in another horror film. A newer, better one this time. Pidge wraps herself up in a blanket and sits on the floor. Lance leans on my chest while we lie on the couch together. Shiro and Allura sit together next to Pidge. Hunk reclines in the big armchair.</p><p>By the time Lance's sister and other siblings return, we're getting to the climax of the movie and I find myself playing with Lance's hair. It's quite soft. One of Lance's seemingly infinite younger sisters sprints into the living room, where we all are, and hug-attacks Lance. </p><p>He laughs and sits up to hug her back, and then he tells her to go have dinner and go to bed. She nods dutifully and promises that she will, right after she gets introduced to his new boyfriend--who apparently is me.</p><p>"His name's Keith," Lance tells her. "He drives a motorcycle!"</p><p>"Woah," the little girl replies, staring at me.</p><p>I smile anxiously and wave. She comes up to me and boops my nose. Satisfied, she steps back.</p><p>"I like him," she proclaims, before running away with a giggle.</p><p>I smile after her. Lance lies back down. The others tease me a little, but they don't go far and they shut up quickly. We enjoy the rest of the movie peacefully.</p><p>Lance's sister comes in with hot chocolate and hands some to everyone. She's Latino, like Lance. We all thank her and she ruffles Lance's hair. She glaces over me and nods to herself. She leaves. We watch another movie and it's starting to get late.</p><p>"I'm tired," Hunk yawns. "I'm going to head home."</p><p>"Alright, see ya buddy," Lance calls.</p><p>The rest of us say variations of it as well.</p><p>The second person to leave is Pidge, who gets picked up by her brother at 10:45. Allura and Shiro take off at the end of the movie, but I don't notice. I've fallen asleep.</p><p> </p><p>~Chapter 7~<br/>I snap awake at three in the morning, soaked in a cold sweat from another nightmare. My breath is quick and shallow, and the lingering sense of panic stays a little longer than I want it to. I sit back and run my hand through my hair. The dream was another one about my parents' disappearance.</p><p>It's always the same--that dream. It starts out in the dark. Then, there's a scream and a flash of purple. The car screeches to a halt and gravity seems to disappear. I get thrown from the car by the strong, hairy arms of my father. I land on the ground, hard, and look up, my tears blurring my vision. My father is yelling, my mom is sobbing. Something above them is pulling them up in the car, through a beam of puple light. Then everything blacks out again and I wake up.</p><p>I clutch the blanket around me and feel my eyes burn with tears. I sob quietly. Someone runs in and I try to hide my face in the blanket, but the person just wraps his arms around my shoulders and whispers comforting nothings. Eventually, I look up to see who it is.</p><p>"Lance," I say, surprised.</p><p>"Hey, Keith, yeah, I'm here," he murmurs.</p><p>"Why are you-?"</p><p>"I'm not just going to let you cry on your own. What kind of boyfriend would I be?"</p><p>"So…we're together, then?" I ask softly, looking down.</p><p>"Yeah, of course we are. I mean, unless you don't want to be! It's just, we kissed and all, and-"</p><p>I silence him wih another kiss.</p><p>"You talk too much," I tell him.</p><p>He stares at me silently. I smile.</p><p>Then I stand up and scratch the back of my head.</p><p>"Sorry for passing out in your living room," I tell him, folding up the blanket. "And thanks for helping me out of that nightmare. I'll get going now. See you on Monday."</p><p>"Keith, you can spend the night. It's 3 AM. Just sleep here the rest of the night," Lance tells me. "Or, we could just talk."</p><p>I think for a moment.</p><p>"Okay. Let's talk for a little while," I respond.</p><p>He nods and I sit back down, facing him this time.</p><p>"Okay," I say. "What do you want to talk about?"</p><p>"What was your nightmare about? If it's alright for me to ask that," Lance asks.</p><p>I nod.</p><p>"It was about my parents' disappearance--what I remember of it, anyway."</p><p>"Really? Wow. How young were you?" Lance questions.</p><p>"I don't know. Three or four."</p><p>"What happened? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."</p><p>"It's fine. I haven't really told anyone, because what I remember…it sounds crazy, alright? And maybe I hallucinated, but it's what I think happened," I claim.</p><p>Lance nods eagerly, and scoots a little bit closer.</p><p>I sigh.</p><p>"Do you believe in aliens?" I ask him.</p><p>"Yeah. Does your story involve them?"</p><p>I bite my lip and nod, my hair falling over my eyes messily. Lance brushes it out of my face. I smile at him tightly.</p><p>"Okay. What I remember is this big purple tractor beam pulling us up towards a giant…thing, in the sky. We were in our car. My dad picked me up and got me out of the car before it was too late. I remember watching them go up… my dad was shouting, trying to reason with the monsters controlling the ship. It sounded like he'd run into them before. My mom was screaming and praying--she was Catholic. I tried putting my hand through the beam, but it just tried to suck me up too. My dad told me to stay away from the light. I think I blacked out afterwards," I admit.</p><p>Lance stares at me, gaping. I nervously start picking at the fabric of the blanket, avoiding Lance's gaze.</p><p>"I told you it sounds crazy. I haven't told anyone else the real story. The social workers always call it a car accident, so I do too. Who'd believe a kid like me?" I remark.</p><p>Lance grabs my shoulders--not forcefully like usually happens, which is why I flinch. Lance's grip is calm; he's just trying to get me to look at him. So I do.</p><p>"You should tell Pidge about this. Something similar happened to her. Shiro too. That's how he lost his arm and got that white streak in his hair, I guess," Lance states.</p><p>"Really? I thought his hair was dyed," I reply. "Wait, are Allura and Coran's hair dyed?"</p><p>"No. They just have really weird genetic haircolors in their families," Lance tells me. "You've met Mr. Alfor. His hair is as white as snow. He's only 38."</p><p>"Wow."</p><p>"I know!" Lance exclaims.</p><p>"What happened to Pidge?" I ask.</p><p>"Her dad and brother went missing along with Shiro. None of them will talk about what specifically happened, but they've told Pidge and in turn, Hunk, Allura, Coran, and I, and now you, a little. Apparently, they were abducted and enslaved by these aliens called the Galra. This big fluffy purple guy named Thace made it possible for them to get out."</p><p>"Okay. Maybe I'll talk to Pidge and Shiro," I tell Lance uneasily.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>~Chapter 8~<br/>We talk until Lance's youngest siblings wake up and come into the living room to watch cartoons. We talk about our families, the flower shop, our lives. I promise him a picture of me wearing one of the flower crowns that Mrs. Zhao ordered. We exchange phone numbers and addresses. We even play 20 Questions. Lance takes me to the kitchen and offers me a selection of cereal: Captain Crunch, Froot Loops, Honey Nut Cheerios, Life, and Coco Puffs. I choose the Honey Nut Cherrios.</p><p>Lance gets out a bowl, spoon, and the milk, for me. I thank him and start pouring the milk into my bowl. Lance gasps and I look over at him as I start pouring the cereal onto the milk. He just points at the bowl and shakes his head.</p><p>"Hm? Is something wrong with the bowl?" I ask, looking around it and into the cereal.</p><p>"You pour the MILK first?" Lance hisses.</p><p>I nod.</p><p>Lance's expression is just like an anime character's. His eyes are drooping and his mouth is open. His arms fall to his sides.</p><p>I snicker and kiss him on the forehead. I put away the cereal and milk and pick up the bowl. Lance watches me eat it, him not moving anything besides his eyes. After three content bites, Lance shakes his head slowly and walks away. He comes back after five steps and puts his hands on his hips. I smile and continue eating.</p><p>"Good morning, niños," Lance's sister calls as she walks in.</p><p>"Good morning," we reply.</p><p>"Lance, why are you watching Keith eat? You are being creepy," she says.</p><p>He gets an offended expression on his face as he tells her that I pour the milk first. She looks between him, me, and the bowl, and starts laughing.</p><p>"Little bro, he's your novio*(1). Let him eat however he wants, even if it's…unusual," she tells him, moving to make herself a bowl of cereal too. She gets the Life. I watch her pour the cereal first and my eyes widen.</p><p>"Wait," I say.</p><p>They both look at me.</p><p>"Why do you pour the cereal first?"</p><p>This time, it's them who start laughing. Lance wraps his arms around the small of my back, facing me, and pulls me closer to him. I lift my cereal up to avoid spilling it.</p><p>"You are one weird guy," Lance tells me.</p><p>I look up at him, at the smirk on his lips, at the freckles spattered across his cheeks and nose. We lean together into a brief kiss.</p><p>In front of Lance's sister.</p><p>When I remember her, I pull away from my boyfriend, clearing my throat. She smiles at us and leaves the kitchen with her cereal. She poured milk in while we were talking.</p><p>"Lance, I've got to help out at the shop today. Thanks for having me over, and thanks for breakfast. Ill text you," I say.</p><p>Lance smiles.</p><p>"No problem. Do you mind if I visit you today? I need to get something for mí hermana mayor*(2) for her birthday," Lance whispers.</p><p>I smile back and tell him that he's welcome to come by. He walks me out to my bike after we both have eaten breakfast. We kiss one last time before I put on my helmet. I drive home without even realizing I've left my jacket at Lance's--it's my loose black leather one.</p><p>========</p><p>Mrs. Zhao all but whacks me when I walk in.</p><p>"Where have you been? You never tell me anything! Why didn't you come home last night? I made you breakfast, but you weren't here to eat it! Oh, did you spend the night at that tall handsome boy's house? If so, I forgive you."</p><p>"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I went over to a friends' house. Not Shiro's, but he was there. So were Allura, Pidge, Coran, and Hunk. We were at Lance's place. He's that boy who came in on mother's day," I explain.</p><p>"How am I expected to remember back that far?"</p><p>I shrug.</p><p>"Either way, he might come into the shop later," I tell her.</p><p>She nods and pats my shoulder.</p><p>"You are a good boy. I'm glad you made some friends. I have no idea who they are," Mrs. Zhao tells me.</p><p>I laugh and tell her that they were all at orientation, with the hot guy. That helps her remember.</p><p>"Oh! They looked like nice people. Yes, I'm glad they're your friends. Now, go upstairs and change. You look ruffled an windswept," Mrs. Zhao replies.</p><p>I smile and head upstairs. First, I just collapse on my bed and take a two-hour-long nap. When I finally wake up, it's about noon. I go across the hall, into Mrs. Zhao's kitchen, and eat lunch. It's as I eat my sandwich that I realize that my sheets had been washed and my bed made. I sit up straight and my eyes widen. I decide that it doesn't matter, and finish my lunch. Then I go take a shower. On my dresser, I find a note.</p><p>'Keith. Please start going out with someone already so when I wash that stuff off your sheets, I know that it served a purpose.</p><p>-Mrs. Z'</p><p>I crumple the note up and toss it into the bin by my desk, where I also dropped my backpack when I came up earlier. I go into the bathroom to take a shower.</p><p>==========</p><p>The hot water feels nice. Steam fills the small bathroom quickly, fogging up the mirror and the small window looking out into the nextdoor building. I wrap a towel around my waist and leave the bathroom. I turn on my laptop and start playing Pandora. Admittedly, the only music on it are 80s pop, and some more modern techno and dubstep. I go back into the batroom and take out my hair dryer.</p><p>The Outfield's "Your Love" comes on first, an I sing along as I dry my hair.</p><p>"Josie's on a vacation far away," I sing.</p><p>"Come around and talk it over.<br/>So many things that I want to say.<br/>You know I like my girls a little bit older.<br/>I just wanna use your love, tonight!<br/>I don't wanna lose your love tonight."</p><p>I start shifting my weight along to the beat, popping my hips a little. The towel is only held in place by my left hand.</p><p>"I ain't got many friends left to talk to.<br/>No one's around when I'm in trouble.<br/>You know I'd do anything for you;<br/>Stay the night but keep it undercover.<br/>I just wanna use your love tonight; whoa!<br/>I don't wanna lose your love tonight."</p><p>As the music gets a little faster and louder, I start gently nodding my head.</p><p>"Try to stop my hands from shakin'.<br/>Somethin' in my mind's not makin' sense.<br/>It's been awhile since we were all alone.<br/>I can't hide the way I'm feelin'!" During this part, I sing the harmony.</p><p>"As you leave me, please, would you close the door?<br/>And don't forget what I told you!<br/>Just 'cause you're right, that don't mean I'm wrong.<br/>Another shoulder to cry upon.<br/>I just wanna use your love tonight; yeah.<br/>I don't wanna lose your love tonight.<br/>Yeah, I just wanna use your love tonight.<br/>I don't wanna lose your love tonight.<br/>I just wanna use your love, tonight.<br/>I don't wanna lose your love, tonight!" Somehow, I manage to extend the "tonight" along with the song.</p><p>At the end of the song, I keep singing with the melody as the harmony does an echo-sort-of-thing. One voice sounds a little bit flat in comparison to the others, which I don't remember. I frown and think it must be a remix or something.</p><p>It takes a little while longer for my hair to be dry enough so that I don't worry that my bangs with lose their shape completely. When I'm done, I put away the hair dryer and comb my hair into position. I pit that away too, and leave the bathroom, still with just the towel around my waist. I'm pretty muscular, especially on my torso. So when I walk into my room and find Lance sitting on my bed as the next song starts playing, I'm not as self-conscious as I probably should be.</p><p>I yelp.</p><p>"What the hell are you doing here?!" I demand.</p><p>"Sorry, I just--uh, sorry. Mrs. Zhao told me to come on up. If I'd known that you were--um, just in--a towel, I wouldn't have…" Lance says, his gaze travelling down my torso, his eyes quickly widening. His roving eyes stop at the base of the dark line of hair below my naval.</p><p>"Okay, well, can you at least turn around and let me get dressed?!" I ask.</p><p>"Right! Yeah, of course!" Lance squeaks, covering his eyes with his hands.</p><p>"You're not peeking?" I inquire.</p><p>He shakes his head, hands still over eyes.</p><p>I squint at him for a second, until I'm satisfied that he isn't watching, and that even if he is, it doesn't matter enough to me. I head over to my dresser and pick out a fresh set of clothes. I drop the towel and pull on some boxers--my back to Lance. I pull on new jeans and tell Lance he can look now, as I pick up te towel and bring it back into the bathroom. He first separates his fingers and looks through them. When he deems it safe to do so, he sets his hands back in his lap. I walk back to my dresser and I pick a red shirt out. I pull it on and put on some flip-flops. I pull my hair back into a messy ponytail and secure it with a black hair band.</p><p>Lance is looking at me and blushing profusely. I smile again and kiss him.</p><p>"What? Too hot for you?" I tease.</p><p>Lance gulps and stammers out a reply.</p><p>"I-i-if you're h-hotter than me, does th-that make m-me c-cooler than you?"</p><p>I freeze as it registers that he just tried to burn me. Then I smirk and push him back on my bed, pinning his hands above his head with enough strength to make him squeak but not enough to hurt him. I bring my face so close to his that our breath mixes together. His smells nice--like he's eaten a mint quite recently. I'm sure mine is pretty bad, but he doesn't seem to mind it.</p><p>"If it does," I reply. "I'm still the hot one.</p><p>He smiles weakly. I kiss him fiercly, and he kisses me back just as desperately. It's like we're drownig and te other is the air we need. I feel his tongue press against my lips, and I open them to deepen the kiss.</p><p>He definitely had a mint before he walked in.</p><p>When we eventually break apart, panting, we look at each other deeply for a few second before I release him and stand up properly. He follows me and we head downstairs, both of us slightly dazed.</p><p> </p><p>~Chapter 10~<br/>"Keth!" Mrs. Zhao calls when she sees me. "Come over here and help me with these flower crowns that just came in."</p><p>Lance looks at me with a new, wicked spark in his eyes. I suddenly remember that I promised him a picture of me in one of the crowns.</p><p>"Okay, Mrs. Zhao. We'll be right there," I promise.</p><p>To Lance, I say, "You can pick one out for me to wear, if you let me pick one out for you."</p><p>He nods and we head over to unbox them. I show Lance where we'll be shelving them. He helps me, Mrs. Zhao puts a sign on the door that announces the flower crowns' arrival, and Lance picks out a pink/red centered crown for me. I find a blue-centered onefor him, and he looks adorable. We take a few selfies together and Lance posts one to his Instagram with the main tags "#Zhaosflowers #flowercrownswithbae #newbf" and he tagged me in the post. I notice the number of followers he has, and it makes my jaw drop.</p><p>"That's impossible," I whisper. "No one has that many."</p><p>Lance laughs.</p><p>"I love each and every one of my 274,891 followers, Keith. And I'll be damned if you guys don't get a boost in business this weekend," Lance tells me.</p><p>I hug him and kiss his cheek in thanks.</p><p>Mrs. Zhao claps her hands.</p><p>"Finally!" she exclaims. "You have a boyfriend. Good. I've been waiting."</p><p>We smile at her. She smiles back. Then her smile fades.</p><p>"Keith, look out the window," she instructs.</p><p>I turn my head. Outside, a car just pulled up. Out steps a young woman on her phone. She looks like she just left something in a hurry. She walks in an stares at Lance in disbelief. I greet her, and she glances over at me before looking down at her phone and typing a few things.</p><p>Lance makes a sound and pulls out his phone. It's already lit up with an incredible amount of notifications, but he scrolls through to the newest. He shows me the retweet.</p><p>"Look Keithie, we're famous!" Lance jokes. The tweet already has 15 likes, and counting. The retweet says, "Guys! They're still here! The boyfriend works here! Come check it out, it's a really cute shop! #Zhaosflowers".</p><p>My eyes widen and I look up and the girl, then at Lance, and then at the phone again.</p><p>"How the hell-?" I ask him.</p><p>"Sh. Just accept it," Lance says. He makes a flirtatious face. "You're dating a 10."</p><p>I shove him gently, which send him back a couple of steps. He laughs it off.</p><p>"Aren't you here to pick out a birthday boguet for your sister?" I ask him, noticing that Mrs. Zhao is already helping the girl.</p><p>"Yeah," Lance responds, deflating.</p><p>"Want me to pick out the flowers this time, too? I kind of know her, so that's probably best," I tell him.</p><p>He nods and agrees. I lead him around the shop, picking up fkowers and explaining their significance to Lance in a few words each. As I bring the boquet up to the counter to ring it up, another customer comes in. I welcome him. He smiles at me and starts looking around.</p><p>I turn my attention back to my boyfriend.</p><p>"Hey, Keith," Lance says in a conspiatorial tone, leaning forward. "What if we buy flower crowns for all of our friends?"</p><p>"Hm? Okay, sure," I reply. "Why don't you go pick them out?"</p><p>He grins and walks away. I place the boquet in a stand on the counter and leave the tab open. Lance comes back with a predominantly green one, a yellow one, a black/white one, a pink one, and finally, a white one. I smile and ring everything up. Lance buys it all, and I pay for half of the flower crowns with my own cash.</p><p>"Are they real flowers?" Lance asks, inspecting them.</p><p>"No, but they look like it, don't they?" I ask.</p><p>He nods and I put all of them in a brown paper bag. Lance picks them up and he grabs the boquet too, this time holding it correctly. We kiss before he leaves.</p><p>"Hello," I tell the next customer.</p><p>I ring her up. Lance drives away. The shop is surprisingly busy today and Sunday.</p><p>==========</p><p>Homecoming week rolls around after this next week. We have a different dress-up theme every day of the week, but the freshmen, a few sophomores, and the class officers are really the only ones who go through the trouble to do it. Lance asks me to homecoming over text. I agree, on the condition that we aren't open about our relationship yet. He says that's fine. I offer that he can come over and spend the night afterwards, and he accepts. I promise to pick him up from his place and drive him to the dance, too.</p><p>So when Saturday rolls around, I spend half an hour scrambling around my room, trying to find an outfit that isn't casual-grunge/punk. I finally scrape my only dress shirt (a red button-up), a grey suit-vest, and a pair of black slacks off of the bottom of my closet floor. Then, I look at my messy hair, distressed, and groan. Mrs. Zhao hears and knocks on my door. I tell her she can come in.</p><p>"Are you having difficulty with your hair?" she asks.</p><p>I nod hopelessly. She smiles and come up to me. She asks me for a hair tie and a comb, both of which I hand to her. She takes some hair gel out of the disk-shaped container on the counter and distributes it throughout my hair. Once she's done that, she pulls my hair into a neat ponytail, leaving my long bangs down. She styles them and asks me what I think. I smile an thank her. She pats me on the shoulder and wishes me luck. I thank her for that too, and get going.</p><p>I drive to Lance's, but I have to takee the ponytail out for now. I decide that I'll put it back when I give Lance the helmet.</p><p>He runs out as soon as I step off the bike. I see his parents and some of his siblings watching from the windows. I ask Lance about them and he tells me not to worry about them.</p><p>"Okay. Here's the helmet."</p><p>Lance takes it and puts it on. I sit on the bike and he follows me, but I tie my hair back again before I start the engine. I notice one of Lance's sisters giving him two thumbs up and mouthing, "he's hot!"</p><p>I look at Lance and he's nodding violently. I chuckle and tell him to hold on tight. I take off quickly. Lance's grip tightens immedietly, just like it did the first time.</p><p>When we pull up in front of the school, a few people cat-call us. It isn't until we dismount that we realize it was Pidge and Allura. The group walks up to us. Allura is wearing a gorgeous dress that makes her appear almost luminous. Shiro is in a contrasting black suit with a dark blue button-up shirt. Pidge is wearing a similar outfit to me, but her shirt is pastel green with miniature cacti all over it and it has short sleeves. Hunk is wearing a grey suit with a pale yellow shirt. Coran has a light blue tuxedo on, and a girl in a silver dress beside him.</p><p>"Hey, who's this?" I ask.</p><p>"This is Lindsey!" Coran introduces proudly, puffing out his chest. She smiles and waves.</p><p>I nod politely. Coran isn't the only one with a date. Hunk's girlfriend, Shay, is with him. She's wearing a pink and green dress. Pidge is the only one without a date, but she's also got her laptop under her arm. She's taped the aromantic flag on it, and put a big ace of spades symbol sticker in the center.</p><p>"Come on, let's go inside," Shiro suggests.</p><p> </p><p>~Chapter 11~<br/>The dance is a lot of fun, despite the fact that I refuse to dance at all. Lance and Pidge dance a few times, and Lance dances with a lot of other girls too. It's not that I can't dance--although that's the excuse I give my friends. It's that I can only dance classically. One of my former foster parents put me through a class that taught me ballet, ballroom dances, and tango. Tango was my favorite.</p><p>I remember why I didn't go to these things before. I always end up in a corner or along a wall somewhere with a drink in my hand, just staring around awkwardly. Pidge comes up to me and sits with me on the staircase. She opens her laptop, light flooding out faces. She grins wickedly and asks me what my favorite song is. I hesitantly claim that it's Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now". She laughs and starts typing something in.</p><p>"You really are SO gay," she says.</p><p>"I know."</p><p>She stops typing, her finger hovering over the enter key, and looks up at me.</p><p>"If your favorite song comes on, will you dance with Lance? Or try to? He's lonely," Pidge tells me.</p><p>I look across the room at him. He isn't paying any attention to me. He's having a good time dancing with a girl who's in my AP Chemistry class. I sigh.</p><p>"Doesn't seem like it," I mutter.</p><p>"He is, trust me. I know Lance. He's not smiling as widely as he could, and when you're npt looking, he'll look at you and get this sad-puppy expression," Pidge claims.</p><p>"No way!" I laugh.</p><p>"Yes! So come on, will you dance with him?"</p><p>"…Alright," I cave, not expecting the following events.</p><p>Pidge and Lance lock eyes and Pidge gives a small nod. Lance excuses himself from his dance partner and Pidge presses enter. The bad pop music that was playing cuts out to be replaced by my favorite Queen song. I gape at Pidge and she cackles and pushes me off the stairs. Everyone is confused, but getting into it. The DJ is trying to figure out what happened. Lance strides over to me and offers me a dance.</p><p>I look at him, then at Pidge (who nods fervently), and back at Lance. I agree.</p><p>And so, he takes my hand and pulls me onto the dance floor. He tells me to just dance. I sigh and recall every regular dance move I know, most of them from music videos. Lance and I dance.</p><p>He moves so confidently, using his hips. He moves femininely, mouthing some of the lyrics. As the tempo picks up, Lance spins me and we dance. I start laughing and forget all about everyone watching us as I focus on following Lance. We're both singing along to it. Our dance almost looks coreographed, both of us borrowing moves from each other. We become so absorbed in it that we don't notice the circle that's formed around us until the song ends and we stop dancing. We laugh, breathing hard, and look into each other's eyes. We hold hands and walk back to where Pidge is still sitting, a few people whooping or wolf-whistling as we pass. She starts another song. It's "Heathens" and there's a mixed reaction.</p><p>The original DJ is still scowling at his computer and fiddling with the sound system, trying to get it to play what he wants. Shiro and Allura come up to us. Sje's smiling, but her arms are crossed. Shiro raises his eyebrow and asks what Pidge is doing.</p><p>"What's it look like?" she retorts. "I'm playing what I want to hear."</p><p>Shiro shakes his head and they walk away. A girl comes up and discreetly drops a piece of paper. I pick it up and open it. Inside is a note with a song suggestion. I hand it to Pidge, who grins and types it in.</p><p>When "Heathens" is done, the girl's suggestion starts playing. It's a song I don't recognize, and it has a few swears in it, but not too many or any that are too bad for a high school.</p><p>All in all, the dance is a lot of fun. A security guard comes by, searching for the hacker. We have to run upstairs and hide. Pidge tells Lance and I to keep watch for her, as she ducks into a dark classroom. Her laptop sceen is the only light up here. He and I sit on the floor outside the room and start cracking up again.</p><p>"'I can't dance!' my ass!" Lance teases.</p><p>"Hey, you saw me, most of my moves came from you!" I defend.</p><p>"Yeah, and half of mine came from you!" he replies.</p><p>We're speaking in hushed tones because of the security guard downstairs.</p><p>"You know, I used to be in dance," I admit.</p><p>"Yeah? What kind?" Lance asks.</p><p>"Classical," I tell him, reluctant to be specific.</p><p>"So, like girly stuff like ballet and baroom?" Lance questions.</p><p>I look away and agree softly.</p><p>"And tango," I add.</p><p>Lance grins evilly and peers into the room at Pidge.</p><p>"Hey Pidgey!" he calls. "Do you mind playing something spicy n-?"</p><p>I tackle him and cover his mouth. I look up at Pidge.</p><p>"Don't listen to him," I beg her.</p><p>Pidge takes in Lance's expression and my reaction and grins even more wickedly. She furiously types something new into her computer and I groan as a song I recognize comes on. I know a full routine for it. I sit back and allow Lance to sit up. He puts his hands on my hips and gives me a look that makes me suddenly realize where I'm sitting; but I don't move.</p><p>"So, are you going to dance or not?" Lance asks me.</p><p>"…I need a partner for this one," I claim.</p><p>"What do I look like to you?" Lance question, lowering his tone and leaning closer.</p><p>I inhale sharply and breathlessly tell him that I'll dance, as long as he doesn't keep being an ass.</p><p>"I have no idea what you mean," he pretends.</p><p>I stand up and step back to offer him my hand. He takes it and stands with me.</p><p>I set us up into position for this part of the song, and lead him through the steps. About three-quarters of the way through the song, he quits and collapses into the doorway of the classroom, asking me to keep dancing.</p><p>"This way, i won't be as much of a restriction," he tells me. "Just pretend you have a partner."</p><p>I refuse and sit down next to him.</p><p>"How do you have such insane dancing stamina?" Lance gasps.</p><p>I laugh and kiss his cheek.</p><p> </p><p>~Chapter 12~<br/>The dance ends eventually and Pidge doesn't get caught. We all leave around midnight. Lance and I ride home on my bike. His hands keep wandering down as we drive and I have to threaten him that I'll throw him off if he doesn't stop. So, consequeently, he does. It's pretty distracting when your boyfriend keeps touching your--</p><p>"Lance, I swear!" I scream at him as I feel his hand drifting too low again.</p><p>He giggles and I speed up. He yelps and holds onto me tighter. Since his hand is where it is, I grunt and by instinct, twitch my hips. Because of that, I growl and speed the rest of the way home. Lance makes some jab at me that I can't hear because of the helmet and the roar of the engine.</p><p>We get back to my apartment and I park the bike. Lance takes off the helmet and he's smirking. I glare at him and lock the helmet under the seat. I lead him upstairs, locking the front doors after we get in. I notice a note on my door and pick it up.</p><p>'Hello, Keith! I'll be out with some friends tonight. I should be back around noon tomorrow. Have fun, and be safe! ;)</p><p>-Mrs. Z'</p><p>I groan and crumple it up. I toss it into the garbage before Lance can read it too. He asks me what it says.</p><p>"Mrs. Zhao's gone and not coming home until noon, tomorrow."</p><p>"So, we've got the whole place to our selves?" Lance asks seductively, stepping forward.</p><p>My breath hitches and I put a hand up to push his chest slightly. He stops smiling and looks at me worriedly and guiltily.</p><p>"Lance, I'm not ready for that much. Sorry," I murmurs, avoiding eye contact. I'm afraid he'll get mad at me.</p><p>"That's fine, Keith. Thanks for telling me," Lance replies gently, understandingly, stepping back and just taking my hand. I smile at him briefly.</p><p>I pick up the remote off the dresser and turn on the TV atop it. I pull Lance onto the bed so that we sit together, leaning together. I navigate to Netflix and ask him what he wants to watch. We eventually settle on an action movie (Lance) followed by a cheesy rom-com (my choice). Lance teses me a little about my pick in movies, but I tell him to shut up until he's actually watched it.</p><p>Halfway through the first movie, I get up to make us some popcorn. By the time I come back, two more characters have died. I sigh and sit back down, leaning more on Lance's chest. We put the popcorn bowl in his lap. The movie isn't bad, but it's a little overdone.</p><p>"Now it's time for mine," I say when the credits start rolling.</p><p>I raise the remote and go back to the rom-com.</p><p>"Keith, you have terrible taste in everything," Lance says as it loads.</p><p>"Even men?" I question innocently.</p><p>Lance frowns hard, trying to think of a comeback.</p><p>"Even men, with the exception of me," he replies.</p><p>I laugh softly and nuzzle into him a bit more. He puts his hand on my head and starts gently playing with my hair.</p><p>"You have no idea what my exes look like," I remind him.</p><p>"Sure I do. That girl you dated in ninth-"</p><p>"I broke up with her when I came out, Lance. I got a boyfriend that summer," I tell him, pausing the movie and sitting up to look at Lance.</p><p>"Oh. Well, who was he?" Lance asks.</p><p>"Dylan Forrester."</p><p>"DYLAN FORRESTER?!" Lance cries. "But how? He's the hottest guy in school! He likes dudes? Ay, caramba!"</p><p>"Yeah, I know right?" I reply. "And he's a hell of a good kisser, too."</p><p>"No way. You did NOT make out with Dylan Forrester.</p><p>I smirk.</p><p>"You DID! Oh my god, Keith, you were the greasiest-haired, most acne-covered Freshman. And you freaking made out with Dylan maldito*(3) Forrester."</p><p>I decide not to mention the other things he and I did. Lance doesn't need to know anything like that about me yet. It's not like Dylan and I did anything worse than hand or blow jobs though.</p><p>"Can we get back to the movie?" I ask.</p><p>"Sure, whatever," Lance responds, turning his attention back to the TV. I press play.</p><p>Not surprisingly to me, by the time the credits start rolling, Lance is crying, and my eyes are watering. He looks at me.</p><p>"That was the best movie I've ever seen," he whispers.</p><p>I smile and nod.</p><p>"Lance," I murmur. "Sorry about earlier. I just-"</p><p>"No. I shouldn't have done that. If anything I ever do is too much, please tell me," he responds.</p><p>"Same here," I tell him.</p><p>He nods and we both smile. I shut off the TV and sit cross-legged, facing him. He smirks and we lean close to kiss once more.</p><p> </p><p>~Chapter 13~<br/>"Have you talked to Shiro or Pidge yet?" Lance asks me.</p><p>"Yeah. We think it was the same creatures. Shiro called them Galra," I respond.</p><p>Lance nods understandingly.</p><p>I glance towards the knife on my bedside table, behind Lance, and my snile fades. Lance follows my gaze and asks me about it. I don't really hear him the first time.</p><p>"Keith, hey, what's that?" he repeats.</p><p>I snap out of it.</p><p>"Sorry. It's… that was my dad's. I don't know how I ended up with it. I guess I got it as part of his will or something," I explain.</p><p>"Oh. I'm sorry," Lance says.</p><p>I shrug and try to smile.</p><p>"It's fine, Lance. Really, my parents might still be alive. I don't know," I state.</p><p>"Yeah, but still. It sucks that you don't have a family."</p><p>He must realize what he said, because in a second he puts his hands up and starts apologizing. I laugh and take his hands. I just stare at his knuckles until he shut up and asks me what's wrong.</p><p>"Nothing. It's just that," I look up, "you guys have become my family. And Mrs. Zhao, but you know. It's the first time I've had a group of people who really accept me."</p><p>Lance smiles softly and tears up again. He sniffs once.</p><p>"I'm glad we can be that for you," he tells me softly.</p><p>We hug. When we pull apart, we stare at each other for another moment, just following the way the lights glint in each other's eyes.</p><p>==========</p><p>The two of us crawl into my oversized bed together after changing into our pajama pants (in seperate rooms). We lie next to each other, Lance playing with my hair an me just resting a hand on his hip. Neither of us felt like wearing a shirt to bed.</p><p>"How many siblings do you have?" I ask.</p><p>"Seven."</p><p>I whistle lowly.</p><p>"I know. It's a lot. I'm fifth oldest," Lance says.</p><p>"Wow," I reply.</p><p>He nods.</p><p>"What are your parents like?" I ask.</p><p>"My mom's really nice. She's white, with greek ancestory. Dad's fun too, and he's Latino. They both know spanish, so a lot of the time that's what we'll speak at home," Lance explains.</p><p>I nod.</p><p>"My parents were Korean. I knew it as a child, but I don't remember much of it now."</p><p>"Really? Cool," Lance says.</p><p>I agree.</p><p>"So, do you know what you're goin to be for Halloween?" Lance questions.</p><p>I snort.</p><p>"I'm not dressing up, are you kiddin me?" I respond.</p><p>"Not even if I told you that everyone in our friend group is going to a party at Shiro's in lion onsies?"</p><p>I raise my eyebrows.</p><p>"You're serious," I say.</p><p>"Of course! Come on, Keith, it'll be fun," Lance begs.</p><p>I think about the offer for a moment.</p><p>"What do I have to lose, besides my dignity?"</p><p>He laughs, which was my intent, and kisses my nose.</p><p>"We should fall asleep," I whisper.</p><p>"Mm-hm," he replies, closing his eyes.</p><p>Through the light coming through the window, parts of his face are illuminated, making me fall asleep smiling and counting his freckles.</p><p>==========</p><p>I have another quite inappropriate dream tonight, again of Lance. Just as I get close, I wake up. I find Lance curled around me, his fingers tickling the hairs below my naval and centimeters away from my leaking erection.</p><p>"Lance," I croak, still in the dream.</p><p>"Hm?" he asks innocently.</p><p>"…Don't stop," I softly request.</p><p>He laughs breathlessly and moves his hand down farther. He grips me through my pajamas.</p><p>"Are you sure?" he whispers in my ear.</p><p>I shiver as his breath brushes my ear and the back of my neck.</p><p>"Yes," I breathe, starting to wake up.</p><p>"Let me know if it's too much," he requests, a touch of nerves in his tone.</p><p>I lean back into him and turn over onto my back to look sideways at him, holding back a moan.</p><p>"I will," I tell him.</p><p>He smiles nervously at me and moves. He slides under the covers and settles between my lags. My breath hitches and I sit up. He kisses my chest and I open my mouth in a gasp. I continue breathing that way my hands running along the muscles of his back and neck. I push the covers back until I can see what he's doing, just as he starts pulling down my pants.</p><p>I bite my lip and throw my head back as he licks my tip. He licks the tip and around the head a few times before e actually takes part of me into his mouth. I feel his teeth graze the skin and moan at the sensation. I feel him smirk around me and he starts sucking.</p><p>Because of that dream, it doesn't take me long to finish. I come all over my abdomen, and Lance finishes himself off afterwards, getting himself dirty too.</p><p>We lie back on the bed together in the quiet morning once more, panting. I'm first to recover, and I crawl over Lance to start kissing him up and down, tasting him at times. It's salty, but sweet at the same time.</p><p>Lance gasps and I sit up.</p><p>"We should shower and get dressed, before Mrs. Zhao cones home," I suggest.</p><p>He reluctantly nods his agreement. I slide out of my bed and walk over to the bathroom. I've pulled my pants back up. I enter the small tiled room an turn on the water. I hesitate to step in though, even after the water heats up. I sit on the toilet lid for a few moments, processing what just happened and allowing the rush of hormones to subside. When I feel pretty normal again, I finally step into the water and take a quick shower in the hot water.</p><p>When I'm done, I shut off the water and walk back into my bedroom with a towel around my waist and my pajama pants under my arm. I tell Lance that the bathroom's ready, that he can use my soap, and that there are extra towels under the sink. He thanks me.</p><p>While he showers, I get dressed. Black skinny jeans and a blue-ish green t-shirt today, with black Converse.</p><p> </p><p>~Chapter 14~<br/>Lance comes out of the shower and I leave my apartment to make us breakfast while he gets dressed. I can cook, I just don't do it often because Mrs. Zhao usually prepares our meals. I make us a large omelette with four eggs, cheese, and plenty of spices in it.</p><p>Lance follows the smell and comes into the kitchen with me. He stands at the doorway, watching me for a minute.</p><p>"Go ahead and sit down," I tell him. "It'll be ready in a minute."</p><p>He takes a place at the small dining table nearby. I finish the omelette and cut it in half, seperating it onto two plates. I set one down in front of Lance and sit beside him with the other. There are salt and pepper on the table.</p><p>Lance takes a bite of the omelette and his eyes widen. He looks at me again. I smirk.</p><p>"This is really good," he tells me through a mouthful.</p><p>I laugh and thank him. We eat the rest in silence. Lance gets up and puts his plate in the sink. I follow him, and I rinse our dishes off so I can put them in the dishwasher. Lance comes up to me as I turn around, and we wrap our arms around each other.</p><p>"I'm going to have to wash my sheets because of you," I murmur.</p><p>He smirks and we kiss. His hand reaches up to catch my long hair and pull me into him. We deepen the kiss and our hands roam.</p><p>Suddenly, I hear a knock on the door downstairs and someone call out through the glass, "Hello? Are you open?"</p><p>I let go of Lance and sprint down the stairs, yelling back as I go.</p><p>"Yes! I'll be right there! Sorry!" I call. Lance is laughing and he follows me much more slowly.</p><p>I hit the landing of the first floor and hurriedly pull my hair into a messy ponytail. I run over to the door and unlock it, aplogizing as I do so. The woman giggles as I pull the door open, and I let her through. A large, floppy hat covers most of her face, and her hair is fairly long. It falls in dark fluffy ringlets around her face. She is wearing a flowy dress with a fashionable sweater and ripped black jeans. Her combat boots are black and made of leather. All together, her style is incredible. She looks up at me and smiles.</p><p>She's captivating, even to me. Her gaze shifts to Lance, who must be stopped at the base of the stairs.</p><p>"Hello," she greets cheerfully with a small wave. Her nails are perfectly nanicured and unpainted, I notice.</p><p>"Um, hi, sorry. Are you looking for anything in particular?" I respond, remembering my job.</p><p>"Oh, yes actually. I heard that there are flower crowns here? I'd like to buy one. Maybe you could help me pick out a color?" she asks.</p><p>Her straight white teeth stand in beautiful contrast to her ebony skin.</p><p>"Right, yeah, I'll show you where they are," I laugh, leading her through the slightly crowded store.</p><p>We pass Lance and she sends him another smile. His mouth opens and closes silently a few times until he just raises his hand in a wave.</p><p>We find them and I turn to her. I suggest purple as the best color. She smiles and nods. We find the best one on the shelf and take it up to the counter. Lance is waiting there, a rose in his mouth and an attept at a smolder on his face. He winks at her. I start laughing and pluck the rose from him.</p><p>"I think you're forgetting who you're dating," I tell him, kissing his cheek.</p><p>He blushes and turns his attention to me. I still give the girl the rose anyway. She is quite pretty, after all. Something about her seems…otherworldly.</p><p>I ring up the price of the crown and ask her for it. She swipes a credit card and takes the crown. I thank her for her business as she goes.</p><p>"Keith you know who that was, right?!" Lance asks me excitedly.</p><p>I shake my head.</p><p>"Oh my god! Get ANY social media! That's RubyAngel, the YouTuber who does collabs with Allura sonetimes! She goes to the other high school," Lance informs me.</p><p>"Allura's a YouTuber?" I ask.</p><p>"Yes! Come on Keith, she's been filming half of what everyone in our group does since the beginning of the year," Lance replies.</p><p>"Oh."</p><p>I hadn't noticed.</p><p>"She does a lot of makeup tutorials and stuff. You should check out her channel. Her username's Space_Princess," Lance tells me.</p><p>I nod and promise that I will.</p><p> </p><p>~Chapter 14~<br/>It's been a couple of weeks since Lance came over. Our friends and I went to the beach last weekend, and I brought my guitar. I played a couple of my "cringy 80s songs" as Lance and Pidge called them, and a Rhianna song as well. Lance accused me of being so gay that if auras are real, mine must be a rainbow. Somehow, he learned "Careless Whisper" and annoyed me by coming up to me after games and such and playing it for me. If we ever had any intention of keeping what's between us a secret, that disappeared a while ago.</p><p>Since Lance mentioned Allura being a YouTuber, I've checked out her channel like I promised I would. She has a couple of compliliations of our friends' exploits. We've come up with the "squad name" of Voltron, to describe the seven of us. There is a clip of us at the beach, including me playing. In the same video is the first time Lance played "Careless Whisper" for me. He bursts into the lunchroom, Hunk clearing a path ahead of him. He's already playing by the time he gets to me. I hit the side of his head just hard enough to make him mess up and stop, laughing. I check the title of the video.</p><p>"Klance Moments" it's called.</p><p>It made me laugh.</p><p>Since the first time I checked Allura's channel, I've subscribed to her and watch all of her new videos. My username is "Fire Lord".</p><p>One day, Allura offers Pidge, Shay, and I to come over to her house for a girls' night. We all go over to her house after school on Friday. She lives with her father and Coran in a large, Victorian house that's been well kept up. We head up to her room in the Attic, which is more like a third floor. There's a huge window on one side, an giant skylights in the cieling. Her big, satin-covered bed lies under the big window in the wall. We sit down on it, cross-legged, as Allura gets our her makeup kits and sets up her camera.</p><p>"I'd like to make this a video if you don't mind," she asks. "I can cut you out if you'd like."</p><p>"I'm fine," I reply.</p><p>Pidge and Shay nod their agreement with me.</p><p>Lance, Hunk, Shiro, and Coran are out doing something together as well, but we don't know what. Allura and Shiro are like our mom and dad, and Lance decided to start calling them that too.</p><p>"Alright," Allura says with a smile.</p><p>She sits down with us and asks who's first.</p><p>==========</p><p>Once we've all been dolled up and Allura has the video clips she wanted, she allows us to look at ourselves. We're all impressed. We take a few selfies and group selfies, and send one to the boys via the group chat.</p><p>Lance: dios mío<br/>Shiro: wow<br/>Hunk: what they said<br/>Coran: You all look beautiful<br/>Allura: thank you Coran!</p><p>We are all grinning and admiring each other. Allura stands up suddenly and crisses her room to throw open her closet door, revealing the ealk-in space with racks upon racks of stylish clothing.</p><p>"Alright, who wans to go out and meet up with the boys?" she asks, turning back towards us and putting a hand on her hip.</p><p>===========</p><p>Allura helps us pick out some outfits, and we even pilfer Coran's closet (with his permission through text of course) for something for me. In the end, we're all dressed to kill.</p><p>Allura's in a knee-length dress with a starry appearance due to the black satin fabric with a gauzy layer of sparkling silver above it. She tops it off eith her pink flower crown and pink two-inch heels. Her hair is pulled back and up in a messy ponytail.</p><p>Pidge puts on a non-collared green button-up shirt with a black suit and tie (somehow it's in her size). She leaves her hair down. It's harder to dicern her gender than usual.</p><p>Shay wears a sweet crystal-patterned tanktop, and black cut-off shorts of Allura's. Her hair is buzz-cut but dyed purple.</p><p>My outfit takes the longest, but we decide eventually on what I should wear. We think it's a good idea for me to deviate only slightly from my usual style.</p><p>A dark red, slightly over-sized shirt with black leather patches on the elbows (for style, Allura informs me). Skin-tight, ripped, black jeans with black, leather hightops. Shay french-braids my long hair. I put on a stylish, long, grey jacket of Coran's and a black scarf belonging to Allura.</p><p>When I'm done changing and I walk into the room where the others are waiting, Pidge wolf-whistles, Shay tells me that I ckean up nicely, and Allua grins, taking a photo. She asks me if I'd like to do a YouTube video collab some time.</p><p>"Sure," I reply.</p><p>"Great!" Allura says.</p><p>"Shouldn't we get going?" Shay sugests.</p><p>"Yes! Let's text the guys and ask them where they are," Allura responds, picking up her phone.</p><p>"Already got it," Pidge says, on her computer.</p><p>"You tracked one of their phones again, didn't you?" Allura asks.</p><p>"Yup. They're at some non-alchoholic nightclub in the city. It's about a one-hour drive away," Pidge states.</p><p>"Well, let's get going then. It's only 5:30," Allura replies, grabbing a sweater.</p><p>We climb into her Jeep after saying goodbye to her father and start driving.</p><p>On the way, we turn on the radio. Allura tunes it until it's playing the best local pop station. The first song that's playing is Starboy. We listen and occasionally sing along to the radio the whole drive. We drop Pidge off on the way out of town. As we near the city, we roll the windows down. A group of men catcalls us and make some lewd gestures that we return by flipping them off and jeering.</p><p>We finally pull up near the club and park. Allura rolls up the windows and we get out. She locks the car and leads the way to the club.</p><p> </p><p>~Chapter 16~<br/>We walk inside and our senses are immediately assaulted. The blaring music isn't terribly different from what was playing on the radio. The smell of sweat, sweet drinks, food, and other things sting our noses at first. The air is hot from the bodies dancing. The first thing that happens as we walk in is that a few heads turn out direction. We look around and catch a glipse of our boyfriends. We make our way through the crowds to them.</p><p>"Holy fucking shit," Lance mouths. He probably actually said it, but you can't hear anythig over the sounds in the club.</p><p>"Hey Lance," I mouth. He waves and smiles weakly.</p><p>I look him up and down. He's not dressed up much. I smile to myself and move close to him until our chests brush together. We start dancing. It's not as coordinated as it was at the school dance, but we're having more fun without people watching us. Looking around, there are a lot of obviously LGBTQ+ couples and people. There are probably even more than we realize.</p><p>So, when Lance kisses me, no one gives us a second glance. Even when we make our way over to the bathrooms and lock ourselves into a stall in the men's room. The only reaction we recieve at all actually, is someone banging on the stall door and telling us to get a damn room.</p><p>We walk out of the bathroom dazed and high, pupils dialating when we look at each other. We clasp hands and find that both our palms are sweaty. It makes us smile.</p><p>Lance brings me outside and we get in his car. I notice that Shiro and Hunk drove here too. Lance starts the engine and we drive back home. I ask him where we're going when he doesn't take any of the turns I expect him too back in town. He smiles and tells me that it's a secret.</p><p>When we pull up, I see why.</p><p>The hill overlooks a portion of the city and has a ckear view of the sky. The constellations are beautiful and clear tonight. Lance steps out of his car and I follow. He gets a blanket out of his trunk and lays it on the grass. We sit down together on it, staring at the sky and leaning together. Our fingers interlock between us. We eventually lie on our backs with our knees up.</p><p>"Keith," Lance whispers.</p><p>I turn towards him, smiling, but by grin fades when I see his expression.</p><p>"What is it?" I ask, sitting up.</p><p>He looks distressed and worried.</p><p>"Do you see that?" he asks me, pointig.</p><p>I look up again and immediately spot what he means.</p><p>A large thing is streaking towards Earth--towards us.</p><p>It slows to land behind us, about 25 yards away from Lance's car. We stand up an I draw my knife.</p><p>The creature who steps out with his arms raised is strangely recognizable.</p><p>"Don't attack!" he calls out. "I'm unarmed. I'm just looking for someone--my son."</p><p>Now I realize who he is. From the change in Lance's posture, I think he does too.</p><p>"Father," I ask, though the tone of my voice makes it more of a statement.</p><p>"Keith?" he replies hopefully.</p><p>I nod numbly.</p><p>He takes a couple of hurried steps towards me, but I tense up, stopping him in his tracks.</p><p>"You disappeared," I accuse.</p><p>"Yes, and I'm sorry. I didn't have a chance to come back to see you before. But… for what it's worth, I'm here to bring you with me," the creature--man--my father, tells me.</p><p>He's similar to how I remember him, but now, he's--bigger, purple, and fluffy.</p><p>"Keith, is your dad a furry?" Lance stage-whispers.</p><p>His ears twitch and he glares at Lance.</p><p>"No, I am not a furry. The Galra changed me. Now, Keith, are you coming with me?"</p><p>He shouldn't have been able to hear Lance from over there.</p><p>"Dad, I don't… I need to think about it. The Galra? They kidnapped and hurt my friend, and my other friend's brother and dad! How can I trust you?!"</p><p>"Who do you think helped them escape? You think they did that on their own? No, Keith, no one can get off a Galra prison ship without the aid of an officer. Whether they know it, or as I suspect is the case, they don't, I helped them. The Holts and Takashi Shirogane, correct?"</p><p>I stare at him, emotions whirling.</p><p>"Keith, my name is Thace Kogane. You are my son, with the woman Mary Kogane. You were born 17 Earth years ago. Your parents are listed as having been killed in a car crash, but hopefully you remember what actually happened, and you know that I am telling the truth."</p><p>I suddenly feel dizzy, and my vision clouds over with black. I fall back, closing my eyes, and the last thing I remember before I black out is Lance catching me and calling my name. Then he screams at Thace, but I don't hear his words.</p><p>==========</p><p>"--Out for twenty seven hours. . . Yes. . . He should regain consciousness promptly, sir. . . Of course."</p><p>I blink away the bluriness of my vision and stare up at the black metal cieling above me. It takes me a moment to realize that I'm lying strapped down to an operation table. I strain against my bonds and start panicking.</p><p>"Shh, shh, it's alright, Keith! I'm right here," my father calls, rushing to my side.</p><p>I pull away from him, frightened. I can see, even though the lights are off. I feel a pinch on my arm and look to see a droid injecting my arm with a clear substance, before I pass out again.</p><p> </p><p>~Chapter 17~<br/>"Keith," my father's voice calls softly, rousing me.</p><p>I sit up and this time I'm not restrained. I see him in front of me, sitting in a chair with a tired expression.</p><p>"Where am I? What happened to Lance?" I ask.</p><p>"Relax. You're on a Galra ship. Specifically, mine. Lance is still on Earth. I knocked him out not long after you fainted."</p><p>"How dare you touch him?!" I demand.</p><p>Thace backs up, raising his hands plams out in a gesture of peace. It does little to calm me.</p><p>"I did not realize that would elicit such a response from you," Thace tells me. "Did that boy mean something to you?"</p><p>"Yes! He wa my-- my friend," I reply bitterly, hesitant to reveal my sexuality just yet.</p><p>"You are crying," Thace notices, a bit shocked.</p><p>"Huh, I wonder why?!" I yell sarcastically. "It's not like my missing and PRESUMED DEAD father just showed up as an ALIEN and KIDNAPPED me, knocked out my boyfriend, and did all this without a care for what I want!"</p><p>"I am doing this for you, Keith! You'll be happier in space, with me. Since you're my son, you'll be treated kindly. Here, why don't you take a look at yourself?" Thace offers, handing me a mirror.</p><p>I take it hesitantly. My reflection shocks me.</p><p>My skin is purple, my eyes are a glowing golden matching my father's, and my ears have expanded to look like his as well. I look down at my clothes and see that I'm wearing a jump-suit type outfit with a knee-length dark grey coat with fur lining. I can hear much better and can see better too, including in two more colors. There's no description for them that comes to mind.</p><p>"Turn me back," I growl, surprising myself with the ferocity in my tone.</p><p>"Keith, you have to do that yourself. This state is currently controlled by your emotions. Calm yourself, and you should return to your human form," Thace informs me.</p><p>I steady my breathing and wait for my heartbeat to slow. I feel the emotions ebb until they're controllable, and take another look at myself. I'm back to normal.</p><p>"Okay. Take me home now," I try.</p><p>"I can't do that," Thace says. "Besides, you need to learn how to control your forms without an emotional trigger, or you might get killed here. Humans have always been some of the fiestiest prisoners."</p><p>"Fine. I'll stay until I can control my forms. Then, you'll take me home," I bargain.</p><p>"Let's make a deal," Thace offers. "If you live as a Galran soldier until I teach you to control your forms, I'll take you home when you want. If you reveal that you're human before you're ready to go back, you'll stay with me and the Galra for six more Earth months."</p><p>I consider it for a moment.</p><p>"Fine," I reply. "But how long is it going to take?"</p><p>"About a month if we work hard," Thace says.</p><p>I sigh and steel my nerves.</p><p>"Alright."</p><p>"Wonderful. The first thing that we need to do is teach you about the Galra," Thace tells me.</p><p>I nod.</p><p>He opens a drawer and pulls out a small device. It has four golden prongs along an edge, and the rest of it is similar to a microchip. He presses it to his forearm and says, "Copy Galra". His eyes flicker shut for a moment before he removes the chip and puts it to my arm.</p><p>"Hold on, what does that do?" I ask before it touches my skin, which I notice is quickly turning purple.</p><p>"It copies all information I have pertaining to the Galra and copies it to you," Thace tells me before quickly pressing it to my wrist and saying, "Paste Galra!"</p><p>My mind is suddenly flooded with information. Some of it's alright, but some of it's horrible. There are also a few memories of my father's mixed in. My mind whirls around momentarily before organizing the information.</p><p>"Keith, are you alright?" Thace asks gently.</p><p>"No, I'm not! How did you even turn me into this anyway?" I ask.</p><p>"I didn't turn you into anything. I just kickstarted your body's natural transformation. You would've changed at some point on Earth anyway, if you had a strong enough emotional trigger. You didn't notice it, but you changed when you realized who I was."</p><p>"Lance saw me like this?" I question.</p><p>"Yes," Thace replies.</p><p>I look at the floor.</p><p>"He's gonna call me a furry when I get back," I mutter glumly.</p><p>"Is that really your worry right now?" Thace asks.</p><p>I look back up at him.</p><p>I can tell when I'm in either form because of my eyesight. I'm human right now.</p><p>"Keith, we nee to start working on changing your form. If there's an emergency, like you need to meet an officer, take one of these," Thace tells me, handing me a bottle of pills.</p><p>"What do they do?" I ask.</p><p>"They'll keep you in your Galra form for a few hours."</p><p>"Okay."</p><p>"I can cover for you for a few more days so that you don't have to meet anyone, and can spend your time solely focusing on training your body through meditation. I'll give you this drone as a companion. If you ever need to contact me, use it," Thace says, pressing a button on the wall so that a door open, revealing a small triangular drone.</p><p>It's metal and purple, like everything around here. It floats without any visible engines or propulsion technology. It flies over to me with surprising speed and ease.</p><p>"Uh, okay," I tell Thace.</p><p>"I have to go now. Why don't you start trying to focus on changing your form now," Thace says.</p><p>"Alright," I reply.</p><p>He leaves through the same door, and it shut behind him automatically. I look over at the drone. It's facing me. Logically, I figure it must be a survellance camera of a sort as well. I sigh and fish my phone out of my pocket, not expecting it to even turn on, let alone have a signal.</p><p>But it does…</p><p>I try calling Pidge, knowing she has the most messed up sleep schedule of us all, so she's likely to be awake whatever time it is on Earth.</p><p>Surprisingly, she picks up on the third ring and screams my name.</p><p>"Keith?! Lance told us you got abducted! Where the hell are you?!"</p><p>"Sh! I can't talk for long," I tell her in a hushed tone. "I did get abducted, by my father, and now I guess I'm half-Galra? I don't know. Anyway, I have to learn how to control my form. What are you laughing about?!"</p><p>"Sorry, that's Lance. You're on speaker. We're at lunch," Pidge explains monotone.</p><p>"Keith, you're a furry!" Lance screeches.</p><p>"No, you are, Lance. I'm not attracted to a monster," I retort.</p><p>His laughter cuts off immediately.</p><p>"You aren't a monster," he tells me.</p><p>"Come on Lance," I groan. "Let me sulk."</p><p>"No,"  Allura's voice chimes in. Her tone, even through the choppy musterious signal, is worried.</p><p>"When can you came back?" Lance asks.</p><p>"I don't know. A month or two with good behavior, according to Thace," I reply.</p><p>"Wait a minute, Thace? As in Galra Officer Thace?!" Shiro questions.</p><p>"Yeah, that's the one. He's my father. Wait, Shiro, he said that… he told me that he helped you and Pidge's family escape."</p><p>"I… maybe. But I wouldn't trust him, alright? You hear me Keith? Try to avoid Zarkon, and try to stay safe," Shiro suggests.</p><p>"Of course. I plan to. One last thing before this signal cuts out--Thace gave me a drone, and I think you'll like it Pidge. I'll try to send you guys a picture of it," I tell them.</p><p>They send their hurried goodbyes, wishing me luck before I hang up. Seconds before my signal cuts out completely and finally, I send a picture of the droid.</p><p>When the "No Signal" light flashes, I sigh in exasperation and turn my phone off. I stand up and stretch, taking a closer look around.</p><p> </p><p>~Chapter 18~<br/>There's a cot attatched to the wall that's not much more than a dark metal slab with a thin black mattress covered by soft purple sheets. Something about the fabric's texture is unfamiliar. Everything is made out of the same dark metal with purple accents. The lights don't do much, but I notice that I can see better with my new Galran sight, anyway.</p><p>There's a window in one wall, out of which I can see Earth rapidly falling away. I look down at my hands and am surprised that I have claws, too. I walk over to the door and it opens for me. I peek my head out and look down the hall in both directions. A pair of gun-carrying androids turn the corner and I duck back in.</p><p>I can tell I've turned human again. If I get caught, I won't be going home or seeing my friends--or Lance, anytime soon.</p><p>I sit on the floor with my back against the wall. I pull my knees to my chest and put my head on them. Tears burn my eyes and drip down my face. I sniff and sob into my arms.</p><p>I already feel so alone and empty.</p><p>"Keith," Thace's voice speaks through the drone.</p><p>I look up at it.</p><p>"You will not have another chance to contact your friends. I'm sorry, but I could only keep the connection open for that long. Remember to practice shifting your form without an emotional trigger," he tells me.</p><p>I nod towards the drone.</p><p>He doesn't reply so I wipe my face and climb back onto the bed, facing towards the window. I close my eyes and calm myself so that I am human. Then, I focus on bringing back my Galra form, with no luck. I keep trying for what feels like hours. Eventually, te door opens and my panic triggers the switch.</p><p>I turn quickly and see that it's just Thace.</p><p>"Hello, Keith. You haven't made any progress." The way he says it is a statement, not a question.</p><p>"No," I agree.</p><p>"Don't worry. We'll keep working on it."</p><p>==========</p><p>And so we do. It takes me a week and a half to figure out the trick. After two weeks, and I've nearly completely mastered it, Thace deems me prepared to eat with the other officers. He's been bringing me food since I arrived, and I've gotten relatively used to the red goo. Thace gave me a small tablet sort of thing with my papers and ID in my first week. He leads me through the halls to a cafeteria, and everyone turns to watch me as I pass. We've spent the last three days perfecting my posture and such.</p><p>"Head high," Thace murmurs to remind me. "Don't play with your bangs."</p><p>I give a slight nod to show that I've heard him. He takes me to a higher table at the front of the room, where some people who look a bit more like us than the andriod-like soldiers sit. They look up as we sit down with them, food goo materializing before us.</p><p>"So this is the famous Keith Kogane," a purple woman with a reptilian face says, inspecting me.</p><p>I look up and nod.</p><p>"Well, I wish you the best of luck living up to Zarkon's expectations for you," she tells me.</p><p>"Thank you," I reply.</p><p>"Thace, this is your son? A bit scrawny, don't you think?" a guy similar to the woman asks him.</p><p>"Yes, I suppose. Wait until you see him fight before you judge him, though," Thace requests.</p><p>They and the other officers who had been paying attention agree.</p><p>"When shall we see him fight, then?" the woman inquires.</p><p>"Soon," Thace promises. "Although I've heard that he may be sent on a reconissance mission to an uncharted planet, soon."</p><p>"Really? A whole two weeks in the army and you're already going in? Interesting," te man says.</p><p>"I suppose," I respond with a shrug.</p><p>"Moody, too," another woman notices.</p><p>I smirk slightly, looking at my breakfast.</p><p>"He's just getting adjusted, aren't you?" Thace replies, clapping me on my back and startling me.</p><p>I keep concentrating to keep my form, but I can tell that it partially shifts for just a moment. No one else seems to notice, though. Luckily.</p><p>The others are laughing at my reaction, instead. I laugh along nervously.</p><p> </p><p>~Chapter 19~<br/>"You told me that I could go home once I mastered my forms," I remind Thace angrily, back in my room.</p><p>"Yes, and you can soon, but I need you to prove yourself before then."</p><p>"What?! It sounded like you want me to spy on Earth or something!" I retort.</p><p>"Was that not clear? That is exactly what I expect. Why do you think I was on that godforsaken planet in the first place?" Thace asks.</p><p>I stumble back, shocked.</p><p>"You--you WHAT?!" I roar.</p><p>His expression changes and his posture stiffens.</p><p>"I apologize, I didn't realize--"</p><p>"What? You didn't realize I'd be so MAD at you?! For killing Mom, for abandoning me, for making me believe it was somehow MY FAULT for YEARS?! First you kidnap me, then you expect me to gather intel for your army, and now you tell me that you never cared about my home?!" I cry.</p><p>Now it's his turn to be shocked.</p><p>"Keith, I'm sorry," he tries.</p><p>I reel away from him and scream at him to leave. He hurries out of the room.</p><p>==========</p><p>I sit down on my bed. My mind is made up. I'm going home.</p><p>Thace has given me a good enough knowledge of this ship for me to navigate my way through and steal an escape pod. If I'm careful, I can grab some food and spare clothes and maybe even a weapon or two before I go.</p><p>I start my mission by disabling Rover, the drone. When it falls, I catch it, and find it surprisingly heavy. I drag a bag out from under my bed, one that I stole a while ago.</p><p>I stuff Rover in with a change of clothes. I leave and head towards the kitchens, sneaking around the sentries and guards. I have to knock out a few, but I get to the kitchen in time to fill the rest of the space in my bag with a two-weeks' worth supply of food goo and water. I get to one of the weapons racks and steal a rifle and a phaser. Finally, I'm ready to go.</p><p>I make my way to an escape pod and climb in. I send it off and start flying. I don't calm down or shift until I'm far away from the main ship, and it's barely visible any more.</p><p>I've never flown one of these, but somehow the information comes to me. Probably Thace's memories. I set it on a course for Earth quickly. By the ship's calculations, I should be there in a week and a half. I set it on autopilot and sit back.</p><p>===========</p><p>"Warning:" a voice calls, "approaching craft. Accepting radio."</p><p>Before I can object, Thace's face shows up on my screen.</p><p>"Keith! What are you doing? Come back here!"</p><p>"No," I reply calmly, shifting effortlessly to my human form. "Im going home. To my FAMILY."</p><p>I stress the word "family". It almost seems to make him twitch.</p><p>"I'm sending drones to get you," he informs me, pressing some buttons on a control panel in front of him.</p><p>I grin and get ready, my hands on the controls.</p><p>"Go ahead," I tell him, speeding away.</p><p>He cuts the connection and the ships following me swarm out towards me. Some of them get close, so I destroy them with guns that I didn't originally realize I had. Their ships run out of energy and have to head back quickly. Thace calls me again.</p><p>"Keith, I'm giving one last chance to come with me. Otherwise, you'll never see me or any of our kind again."</p><p>The way he says "our kind" makes me get the feel that he means him and me.</p><p>"That sounds great to me," I reply, pushing the engines one more time.</p><p>I speed away and Thace's connection cuts out, to be replaced with static periodically interupted by his yelling. This time, I'm the one to cut him off.</p><p>As the silence envelops me, I'm struck again by the realization of how alone I am. But this time, I have a decent hope of getting home.</p><p>Suddenly, I remember my phone. It's in the pocket of my Galran coat, which I happen to be wearing. I take it out and try turning it on. No connection. Go figure. And 47% battery, surprisingly. I turn it back off and get out a snack.</p><p>===========</p><p>I lose track of the days, but I know it hasn't been long by the time I draw within sight of Earth once more. My pod is fairly big, and has a bathroom of sorts. It ejects the waste into space. When I see my home again, I whoop and look at the surface of it carefully to align my landing with town. I turn on my phone and call Pidge.</p><p>"Keith?" she asks shakily when she answers.</p><p>"Yes! Ha! Pidgey! Whoo-hoo! I'm on my way home! I don't know exactly where I'll land, but I'm aiming for just out of town. Get everyone else and come find me, please!" I yell.</p><p>"Alright, um… yeah, okay," she replies.</p><p>"Is something wrong?" I ask.</p><p>"No--well, yes. It's Lance. He's been… different, since you left. No matter what we tell him, he thinks it's his fault. Just--talk to him when you get back, alright?" Pidge says.</p><p>"Oh. Yeah," I reply softly.</p><p>"Thanks. See you soon, space boy," Pidge tells me before hanging up.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>~Chapter 20~<br/>I find a landing place and align my trajectory. As I draw close to the surface, the outside of my hull has a layer of burning air surrounding it. I do my best to slow my descent and am surprised to find parachuttes attatched to my pod. I deploy them and my descent speed halves. I land safely and grab my bag before exiting the ship. I hike trough the field and forest I landed in for a few hours before I can hear my friends' voices calling my name. I shout back jubilantly, waving my arms.</p><p>"Keith? Keith!" Hunk responds when we run into each other.</p><p>We hug, and he quickly calls the rest of everyone over. After I greet Allura, Shiro, Pidge, and Coran as well, I realize that Lance is gone. My grin fades and I look around.</p><p>"Where's Lance?" I ask.</p><p>"He's at home," Allura replies sensitively.</p><p>"Why didn't he come with you?" I ask.</p><p>"He's been kind of depressed. Keith, you've been gone for months," she tells me.</p><p>"You were all over the TV and everything," Hunk adds.</p><p>My face falls, and then fury takes over. I growl and clench my fists, barely registering the change that takes place.</p><p>"Thace lied to me," I growl, but it comes out much less human than I intended.</p><p>The others take a step or two back, and Shiro's anxiety spikes visibly. Crestfallen, I change back and apologize.</p><p>"You weren't lying," Pidge murmurs.</p><p>I look at her.</p><p>"You really did get changed into an alien," she notes.</p><p>"Yeah," I reply dully.</p><p>"Okay. Okay, we should go home. Keith, let's have you set up something romantic for Lance," Coran suggests. "He's missed you. Perhaps the most of us all."</p><p>"Alright," I respond.</p><p>They lead me out of the woods, Shiro taking my bag so that I don't have to carry it. Suddenly, I remember Rover and I take it out. I hand it to Pidge.</p><p>"Here," I say.</p><p>She takes it gingerly, thanking me.</p><p>"Don't mention it," I respond.</p><p>"The Jeep's right up ahead," Allura mentions.</p><p>I look and can see it through the trees. We make our way back and everyone expresses their gratitude to be out of the forest. We squash into it and Allura drives us home safely. We drop off Pidge, Shiro, and Hunk. That leaves Allura and Coran with me.</p><p>"Oh, I'm sorry I couldn't return your clothes," I tell them.</p><p>"Don't worry about it," Coran responds.</p><p>I thank them.</p><p>"Keith, do you know what you're going to do?" Coran questions.</p><p>"With what?" I ask.</p><p>"Lance!" Allura reminds me.</p><p>"Oh. Yeah, I've got an idea," I respond, my mind blank.</p><p>"No you don't. Whatever, first off, you need a shower," Allura tells me.</p><p>"Yeah. I've been stuck in a space pod for the last… however long it's been."</p><p>"We'll drop you off. Mrs. Zhao's left all your stuff untouched, at Lance's request.</p><p>I thank her and Coran and apologize for making them go through all this trouble for me. They tell me that I don't need to keep thanking and apologizing to them.</p><p>When I enter the shop, the sun is just starting to set. Mrs. Zhao sees me and drops the flowers she was trimming into a boquet for a a customer. She runs over to me and hugs me. I break down and hug her back.</p><p>"Keith," she whispers.</p><p>"I've missed you so much," I sob.</p><p>"I've missed you too," she replies quietly. "Now then, let's get you upstairs and cleaned up. And when was the last time you ate a decent meal?! You look like shit."</p><p>I laugh at her scolding tone and sniff away my tears. She guides me upstairs, nearly forgetting about the customer.</p><p>The last thing she says to him is, "I'm sorry. My grandson has just returned from a long journey. Forgive me, but his well-being is more important to me than making money."</p><p>He stares back flabbergasted.</p><p>"Goodbye. We are closed. Come back tomorrow," she rephrases for him.</p><p>He stares after us a moment longer before we disappear up the stairs. Mrs. Zhao leads me to my room and sits me down on my bed. I clutch the dusty sheets and breathe in the familiar scent. Mrs. Zhao digs through my dresser and finds a pair of my pajamas. She takes them out and sets them on the bed beside me with a pair of clean boxers, before hugging me one last time, telling me that it's good to see me, and leaving.</p><p>I take a moment to calm down before I get up and walk to my bathroom.</p><p>I shower, relishing the normal, hot water on my body. Steam billows through the room and I love it. When I get out, instead of putting on the pajamas, I put on some of my normal clothes, with the warm Galra coat. I grab my dusty guitar.</p><p>I walk back downstairs and put together a boquet from our most beautiful flowers.</p><p>Mrs. Zhao stops me as I attempt to leave the shop.</p><p>"Where do you think you're going, mister?" she asks me.</p><p>"I've got to see Lance," I tell her.</p><p>She considers me for a second before tossing me the keys to my motorcycle.</p><p>"Go get him," she tells me.</p><p>I smile at her and leave.</p><p>My motorcycle is where I left it, so I climb on and kick it up. I start it and the familiar purr soothes me. I follow the route as best as I remember it, crossing town to get to Lance's house.</p><p>I take the time as I drive to look around and savor my surroundings more than i used to, feel the breeze on my face as the street lamps illuminate me. I laugh as I drive, not wearing my helmet. My coat flaps in the wind and it makes me smile even more.</p><p>I pass the old bar and notice that it's been shut down. I smile and keep driving.</p><p>I pass an office sign and notice the date.</p><p>"January 28th" the sign reads. I inhale sharply.</p><p>I left in mid-September. I've been gone for over four months.</p><p>No wonder Lance has missed me. I certainly missed him. And that's precicely the reason why I'm driving across town at 10 PM to see him.</p><p>Well, part of the reason.</p><p> </p><p>~Chapter 21~<br/>It doesn't take me very much longer to get to his house. When I pull up, one of his sisters runs to the window and presses her nose to the glass for a moment before running off. I can see that they're watching a movie.</p><p>I walk to the door, cradling the boquet in my elbow and swinging my guitar in front to get ready to play it. I knock and Lance opens it. He looks like shit. His hair is dissheveled, his clothes are wrinkled, and the scabbed over lines of some cuts peek out from under his sleeves.</p><p> I hand him the flowers first of all, and then start strumming. I start singing, too.</p><p>"Is this the real life?<br/>Is this just fantasy?<br/>Caught in a landslide,<br/>No escape from reality.<br/>Open your eyes,<br/>Look up to the skies and see!</p><p>"I'm just a poor boy, I need no sympathy.<br/>Because I'm easy come, easy go;<br/>A little high, little low.<br/>Anyway the wind blows, doesn't really matter to me, to me.</p><p>"Mama, just killed a man.<br/>Put a gun against his head,<br/>Pulled my trigger, now he's dead!<br/>Mama, life had just begun!<br/>But now I've gone and thrown it all away.<br/>Mama, ooo.<br/>Didn't mean to make you cry.<br/>If I'm not back again this time tomorrow,<br/>Carry on, carry on, as if nothing really matters.</p><p>"Too late, my time has come.<br/>Sends shivers down my spine;<br/>Body's aching all the time.<br/>Goodbye everybody; I've got to go!<br/>Gotta leave you all behind and face the truth.<br/>Mama, ooo (anyway the wind blows).<br/>I don't want to die!<br/>I sometimes wish I'd never been born at all!</p><p>"I see a little silhouetto of a man.<br/>Scaramouch, scaramouch will you do the fandango?<br/>Thunderbolts of lightning, very very frightening me!<br/>Gallileo, Gallileo,<br/>Gallileo, Gallileo,<br/>Gallileo Figaro - magnifico!</p><p>"But I'm just a poor boy and nobody loves me.<br/>He's just a poor boy from a poor family,<br/>Spare him his life from this monstrosity!<br/>Easy come easy go will you let me go?<br/>Bismillah! No we will not let you go -- let him go!<br/>Bismillah! We will not let you go -- let him go!<br/>Bismillah! We will not let you go -- let me go!<br/>Will not let you go let me go (never)!<br/>Never let you go; let me go!<br/>Never let me go ooo!<br/>No, no, no, no, no, no, no!<br/>Oh mama mia, mama mia, mama mia let me go.<br/>Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me!<br/>For me.<br/>For me!</p><p>"So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye?<br/>So you think you can love me and leave me to die?!<br/>Oh baby, can't do this to me baby!<br/>Just gotta get out, just gotta get right outta here.</p><p>"Ooh yeah, ooh yeah!<br/>Nothing really matters.<br/>Anyone can see;<br/>Nothing really matters, nothing really matters, to me.</p><p>"Anyway the wind blows."</p><p>As I sing and play, I do different voices for the different parts. I don't expect Lance to join in, an he never does. Instead, he crosses his arms, holding the boquet gently, and smiles at me slightly.</p><p>When I stop, I flip my guitar back onto my back, keeping it there by the shoulder strap. I take Lance's free hand and keep looking into his eyes, hopefully.</p><p>"Nothing I could say would make me worthy of your forgiveness, but I just hope--I don't ever want to lose you again, Lance. I didn't prepare some fancy speech, but you know what? When you've been captured by your alien Dad, turned into a furry, and then travelled through space in an escape pod for the last two weeks, your mind tends to wander. And you were one of the few things I could ever thing about," I tell him.</p><p>Lance's eyes fill with tears and he nods stiffly. I lean close and we awkwardly half-hug because of the flowers.</p><p>We break apart, both of us with watering eyes.</p><p>"I missed you so much," I admit, relieved at seeing him.</p><p>"Me too," Lance replies. "That is, I've missed you too."</p><p>"Yeah. I kind of figured."</p><p>We stare at each other for another moment before we start laughing breathlessly.</p><p>Lance invites me in and I accept, being welcomed by his entire family. His parents are home, and they greet me kindly. I am allowed to set my guitar down near the door, and I hang my coat on the rack nearby too. I put my keys and my phone in the pockets. Lance disappears into the kitchen and puts the flowers in a vase.</p><p>When he comes back, Lance asks me if I'd like to watch the movie with them. It's some futuristic movie that I haven't seen before, so I tell them I'd love to. Lance and I settle down together on the sofa, me sitting in his lap and leaning into him with a blanket over the two of us. He plays with my hair. We fall asleep that way. Neither of us notices his family as they leave us alone once the movie ends.</p><p> </p><p>~Chapter 22~<br/>In the morning, I hear his stiffled laughter and a nice feeling on my head. I purr and snuggle into it, since I'm still half asleep.</p><p>Wait. I purred.</p><p>I snap awake and scramble away, growling. The colors of the world look even more excellent in my Galra view. I switch back and sit, glaring at Lance and his two youngest siblings. Lance had been scratching my ear. His siblings run away.</p><p>"You really did get… you know," Lance says, smirking.</p><p>I huff and keep staring at him.</p><p>"So, does it like... benefit you?" Lance asks.</p><p>"I get pretty cool vision," I admit, shrugging. "And claws."</p><p>"And you purr when someone scratches your ear."</p><p>"Shut up."</p><p>Lance smiles and sits with me, taking my hand. I smile softly.</p><p>"This is the happiest I've felt in months, Keith," Lance admits.</p><p>"Me too," I respond honestly. "It's good to see you."</p><p>"You too, buddy."</p><p>"Boys! Sorry to interrupt your bonding moment, but breakfast is ready," Lance's mom tells us from the kitchen, one hand on her hip and a spatula in the other.</p><p>"Thank you, Mrs. McLain," I reply.</p><p>"We'll be right there, Mom!" Lance adds.</p><p>She turns and heads back into the kitchen.</p><p>I look at Lance and then at the ring.</p><p>"This doesn't have to change anything between us," I tell him.</p><p>"I don't want it to," he murmurs, leaning his face close to mine.</p><p>When our eyes meet, our pupils dialate.</p><p>I close the distance between us and press our lips together. He reaches up and grabs my collar.</p><p>Mrs. McClain's voice interrupts us, clearing her throat from the doorway.</p><p>We pull apart sheepishly. She gives us a look and we stand up and follow her into the kitchen.</p><p>Lance's family is already gathered around the huge dining table and eating, so we sit together along one side, between his older sister and brother-in-law, and his father. His brother-in-law is sitting next to me. He looks at me curiously for a moment before going back to his meal.</p><p>"So, Keith, was it?" Lance's father asks.</p><p>I look up.</p><p>"Where have you been the last four months?"</p><p>"Dad, sto-" Lance starts.</p><p>"No, it's alright, Lance," I say softly, putting a hand on his knee.</p><p>"I was kidnapped," I admit.</p><p>A few of Lance's family gasp. His mother crosses herself.</p><p>"I'm so sorry," Lance's dad says.</p><p>"Who was it?" Lance's younger sister questions.</p><p>"My father," I respond.</p><p>"Ay, dios mío," one of Lance's older sisters exclaims.</p><p>I chuckle to try to ease the tension.</p><p>"Lance said that aliens took you," Lance's younger brother pipes up.</p><p>I look him straight in the eye.</p><p>"Yes. He's right. My father is an alien," I admit, shrugging.</p><p>Lance's mother starts laughing. The rest of the family join in.</p><p>"I'm serious," I tell them. "I can prove it."</p><p>They stop laughing immediately.</p><p>"No you can't," one of Lance's brothers accuses.</p><p>"It'll be a little freaky, but I can," I respond.</p><p>"Alright. Try it," Lance's eldest sister tells me.</p><p>I look at Lance and he takes my hand. I close my eyes for a moment and switch. His family gasps and I hear a few chairs scrap back and one fall over. I open my eyes and recognize the Galran vision. I look around at each of his family members in turn.</p><p>They all have the same look of horror and shock on their face and are pushed away from me. I blink and turn back.</p><p>"Sorry," I say.</p><p>"Why are you apologizing? That was awesome!" Lance's youngest and only slightly younger brother exclaim together.</p><p>"How did you do that?!" Lance's eldest sister asks.</p><p>"I spent the last four months working on it," I reply. "At first, the change was triggered by my emotions. I had to learn to control it."</p><p>"Woah," Lance's brother-in-law says.</p><p>I smile. Lance squeezes my hand. I look at him. We share a gaze for a moment.</p><p>We eat together with his family, before I go home. I try to help Mrs. Zhao out with the flowers, but she hits my arm and tells me that what I need to do is check which tests I've missed.</p><p>I go online and find out that my grades have been paused. I write an e-mail to all of my teachers collectively, that basically tells them that I'm back and that I need to make up my material. Second semester has started. I try to find my phone, but it isn't in any of my pockets. I trash my room looking for it, but eventually decide that it must be at Lance's. Even though I grabbed my coat and guitar before I left.</p><p>Oh well. I'll just get him to give it to me at school.</p><p> </p><p>[END NOTE: Lance changed Keith's ringtone and the contacts of each of their friends. Keith catches up and goes back to school. Thace never comes back for him. Everyone lives happily ever after.]</p><p> </p><p>*(1) boyfriend<br/>*(2) my big sister<br/>*(3) damn<br/>Song: "Bohemian Rhapsody" -Queen</p>
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